Shield Hero: The Slave Prince
by Carbon Fire
Summary: A Gladiator Slave with nothing to lose has wasted away in a cell. When he finds new purpose, he is given the chance to start over. However, no one can escape their past forever, and the Gladiator will have to face the Demon's of it. Will he rise to the top and help Naofumi save the world? Or will he crack under the pressure and let the world die? Rated M for Blood and Gore.
1. Chapter 1: It Was Cold

_**Hello one and all. This is the first fanfic I've made in quite a while, but I hope I can still come out with a good story. **_

_**This will be following the Manga mainly. A few show bits might be thrown in for added story, but other than that, this will be almost entirely based off the Manga. **_

_**This character I am adding is of my own creation. I took some inspiration for his design from a game called For Honor, as I greatly enjoy the Gladiator character. However, he will not be entirely like him as well. He is his own character, I merely got inspired by the design of the Gladiator, and thought it would be a perfect fit for this character. **_

_**Thank you lot for tuning in. I already have great portions of this story written, but I have lots of wiggle room for change and improvement. **_

_**I do not own Shield Hero or it's characters/world, however, I do in fact own my OC.**_

_**Enjoy.**_

* * *

It was cold. Somehow it was cold. He envied the Demi-Humans and monsters with thick fur and hair. At least they could keep warm in this cold hell.

He sat in the middle of his cell, as the bars would no doubt be freezing to the touch. The metal box was small, but it gave him enough room to move. He couldn't even track the amount of time had passed since he got here, being cut off from sunlight. The only light that illuminated the bleak room were a few torches. Even then, the light wasn't enough to light up the place, as the light cast a dim orange.

Rats came to nibble at his toes. He slammed his hand on the floor, causing them to scatter. He raised his hand to his face, looking at the dry skin that caused so much irritation. No moisture had been brought to his body besides two cups of water a day. But he had none to spare for his skin, for he would down it before long.

A door opened on the far end of the room. The voice of an all too familiar business man echoed through the room. However, it started to get drowned out from the groans and snarls of Demi-Humans and Monsters alike. He, however, remained silent. The footsteps drew closer, as did the voices. He remained still, until he heard a slam nearby. His body shot up into a standing position. He leaned forward to try and get a good look at who caused the noise, but all he saw were silhouettes.

"I didn't do it."

The voice came low and out of frustration. Anger. It was a man, a young man. Maybe just out of his teens. What could they be talking about? Surely something important, if one of the two had gotten all excited over it. He wanted to know; to pry. However, he would have nothing to gain, and shoved the temptation away.

"Okay." Came the voice of the other man. "I suppose the rumors were incorrect."

Rumors. When was the last time he had heard a rumor about anything outside of this cesspit of dying degenerates? The footsteps then approached his cell. He finally got a look at the two. He dismissed the short fat man almost immediately. His attention was drawn to the new one. The young man was almost as tall as he was. He studied the other man, and the other man studied him. Black hair that reached his eyes, white skin that hasn't seen much sun. Painful green eyes.

He has looked into the eyes of men who had been wronged before. They were all sad. Pathetic. However, this young man wasn't sad. No. He looked cynical. Spiteful. A look of a man who was betrayed and didn't take it sitting down. His helmeted forehead pressed against the bars that held him in. He looked down and saw the Shield the young man carried. It was bigger than any he would use, but smaller than those knights would carry. It was unique. But no weapons besides the shield. Interesting.

The two simply looked at each other. A stare between two men who understood pain. Not physical. But emotional. Mental. Something that could change a man forever. And it sure as hell changed them both, even if the causes were different.

"Ah, him. He's a bit of an enigma. Rarely speaks. Aggressive. The only bit his previous owner gave me was that he used to be a gladiator in another country. And a successful one at that, if he's still alive. He's been through his paces, many battles and such. A hardened warrior. I remember the fellow who sold him to me saying that he was so good at winning, it got boring."

"Why is he stored back here then?" The young man asked, putting a hand on his hip with a suspicious eye. "This guy looks like he could be worth a lot more than some of the other one's up front."

"Ah, the thing about this one is that he is human. While the enslavement of humans isn't exactly illegal here in this country, it is looked down upon. Not many would consider purchasing a human slave here. He's powerful, but Human, so that makes him much less valuable. 130 Silver Pieces is what I would give him. He's gotten rusty in his fighting no doubt, he got sick once, and he is much weaker than he was before. All that and the fact that he is Human, and he's 130 Silver."

The young man turned back to the gladiator. They continued to study each other before the young man turned back towards the slave trader.

"If you are done with that staring contest, the cheapest ones I have to offer are behind this drape." The stubby man raised the fabric into the back side of the room. Upon its raising, both the young man and the gladiator could smell the death and decay coming from the slaves beyond. Both entered the other room, and as they did, the gladiator sat back down. He examined his own body, like the other man did. Scars riddled his arms and torso. He had a story for each one, and each was rewarded with the cheers from a crowd and praise from his owner. Better times.

The gladiator was about to drift to sleep when he heard footsteps coming back from the back room. He looked back up and saw the young man from before, as well as the trader. However, there was a third. A young girl. She was Demi-Human. She looked ill. The girl was forced along with them. The young man took a glance back at the gladiator before continuing on his way. The young girl looked to him as well. She had fear in her eyes. He's seen this fear before. Felt it. He looked away from her, knowing that there was nothing he could do. The girl was dragged to the front room, leaving them all alone yet again.

The gladiator stood and made his way to the front of the cell again.

"Barstone." His voice was raspy. Coarse. Like sandpaper. But it was also deep, and calm for a voice such as his. A form in the cell across from him began to move until he could see it. A Demi-Human that took the appearance of a lion made its way into the light. The older man's whole body was that of a lion, but he stood like a man.

"What is it, Aldwyn? I'm trying to sleep." Barstone's voice was smooth, and much deeper than Aldwyn's. "Well, as much sleep as one can get in this place..."

"Did you see that guy who just came in here?" Aldwyn asked, pointing to the front room. "Or were you too busy snoozing?"

"Yeah, what about 'em?" The drowsy lion Demi-Human groaned as he sat in an upright position. There were circles under his eyes. Clearly the man had seen better days, much like Aldwyn.

"He had a Shield. And someone came in yesterday, talking about how those hero's were summoned." Aldwyn remembered the day before, a Noble had come by. He spoke of the four Hero's being summoned. While he didn't talk too much about the Shield, he did mention him a few times.

"Are you trying to say that guy was the Shield Hero? THE Shield Hero?" Barstone scoffed. "The chances of that happening are slim to none. You know that. Why would a Hero come here? To this dump? They got better places to be. Besides, they gotta save the world."

"I know, but-"

"But nothin'. Go to sleep, Ald." Barstone yawned and rolled back to the far side of his cell, leaving Aldwyn. The gladiator sighed and leaned his head against the back of his cell. He got into a somewhat comfortable position before finally letting sleep overcome him.

It was still cold.

* * *

A few weeks went by. Nothing changed. Buyers came and went, as did numerous other slaves. So far, only one body was hauled out from the back room. Usually there are a few more. Maybe the conditions back there have gotten better? Probably not. Might just be luck that others haven't died.

Aldwyn tapped lightly against the cold metal bars that caged him. There was nothing else to do but wait for the next meal. There was nothing to talk about to the other slaves. Truly, this was a fate worse than death. Forced into containment, left with nothing to do. Nothing but eat, drink, complain and hope for change. Hope hadn't brought Aldwyn much in the past, and it wouldn't now.

Aldwyn reminisced about his earlier years spent in the Gladiatorial ring in his home country. The way the crowd cheered for him as he stepped out of the holding cells. The sounds they made as he fought his opponent. The way they chanted his name as he finished off his enemy. It's been a full year and a half since he last fought someone, and he ached for the chance to fight again. He never asked himself why he was so hungry for a fight, and why he enjoyed the thrill of it so much fun. He remembers his childhood. It wasn't bad, but it was soft and cushy. It wasn't for him. Not anymore.

The doors at the far end of the bleak room opened. It was too early for supper. It must have been a buyer. The groans and growls of the other slaves began to muster and grow loud again, leaving the conversation between the trader and buyer nothing but murmurs until they began their approach towards his cage. Aldwyn stood, but remained in his spot. Shadows approached. But there wasn't just two. There were three. Aldwyn waited until the three people approached. There they were. All familiar faces.

The trader, of course, was there to make the sale. What perplexed him the most was the return of the young man from before. And with him, the young Demi-Human girl he bought weeks ago. She looked slightly different. A tad bit taller, with more groomed hair. And she looked much healthier. Most of the time, the slaves either come back, or they're never seen again. This left Aldwyn surprised for the most part. The young man cleared his throat and stepped up to the bars of his cell.

"You. What's your name?" The young man asked with authority. Stronger than most Aldwyn ever encountered. He could tell the man was strong. Not because he wanted to be. But because he needed to be.

"...Aldwyn." He responded in his low, raspy voice. He thought back on how he got that name. It wasn't his real one, but he never used his real one to begin with.

The young man eyed him for a moment. "I've been told you used to be a gladiator."

"I was. What of it?"

"Do you still know how to fight?"

Aldwyn chuckled. He was almost offended. "Of course I still know how to fight. Just a bit rusty."

"Hmm…" The young man rubbed his chin for a moment. He looked at the Demi-Human, then to the Slave Trader, before turning back to Aldwyn.

"I've been told he used to be a ferocious fighter in the ring. When allowed to, he's killed men mercilessly, and did so with pride." The trader mentioned.

"It's been over a year since I last fought. Like I said, I may be a bit rusty, but I still know how to fight. And kill." Aldwyn approached the bars before wrapping his right hand around one. He looked the young man in the eyes. His helmet blocked any kind of sight from his own.

"...I'll buy him."

The trader smirked. "I knew you'd like him." The chubby man opened the door to the cell. "Come on out. We need to put a curse on you."

* * *

Aldwyn hissed. The seal burned into his chest, right at the base of his neck. It wasn't the worst pain he's ever endured, but it still hurt. His teeth grit just as it finished. He was now property of that young man.

"All done. Congratulations on your new slave. He's all yours." The trader patted the gladiators leather padded shoulder. Aldwyn stood, making his way to the young man.

"You cost me a lot, but I need all the help I can afford to level up. Let's go." Without another word, the young man turned around and walked out the front door quickly. The Demi-Human girl with him wanted to say something, but she shut her mouth and followed him out. Aldwyn stretched his shoulders and followed them both out, leaving the cesspit of slaves behind for good.

Aldwyn was quick to catch up to the two, and stood next to the young man. It was dusk, and the streets were nearly empty. Aldwyn squinted. It was the first bit of sunlight he's seen in a long time. He was used to the dim light of lanterns, but even with the orange tinted sky and setting sun, it was the brightest thing he's seen in ages. He felt the slight breeze brush against his skin; heard the chirping of birds and the deafened muttering of the people who were now walking home. As they walked, Aldwyn could see passerby's shooting glares at his new master, most of them of either slight fear or disgust. This made him curious, however, it wasn't his business to know the past of his new master.

"So, if I'm so bold to ask, what's your name?" Aldwyn asked, his head turning towards the young man. The young man looked back to him before turning left. Both slaves followed in suit.

"My name is Naofumi Iwatani." Naofumi stopped at the entrance of a building. "This here is Raphtalia."

Aldwyn turned his head down to Raphtalia. She gave him a smile. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Aldwyn. It'll be nice to work with you."

Aldwyn was surprised at the girls attitude before nodding to her.

"Now, you've fought before, and you need a weapon if you want to be with me, so I'll be buying you what you need." Naofumi announced before opening the door to the building. Inside was a multitude of weapons and armor. A blacksmith shop.

The trio stepped into the shop. A man peaked his head up from behind the counter with an eyebrow raised. "Oh, it's you again. I'm about to close." The man behind the counter was larger than all of them, both in muscle mass and in height.

"I know, but if you could help us out, I'd appreciate it, Erhard." Naofumi reasoned with who Aldwyn assumed was the owner of the shop.

Said owner sighed. "Fine. But first, who's that?" Erhard pointed to Aldwyn.

"He's my slave. I need Weapons for him. He already has the armor, but still." Naofumi explained. Erhard nodded before leaning down to examine Aldwyn. He had his hand on his chin, looking him over.

"You look like you've fought before." Erhard commented. Aldwyn crossed his arms and nodded.

"Yes. I have." Before Erhard could ask another question, Aldwyn interrupted. "I used to fight in Gladiatorial rings. I did best with a buckler and short sword."

Erhard raised his brow again before smirking. "Then I have just the thing." The blacksmith walked to the back of his shop before coming out with a small round shield wrapped in leather with a steel cap, and a gladius style short sword, coated in copper and leather wraps. Aldwyn grabbed them both, strapping the buckler to his left hand, and holding the sword in his right.

He looked at the to his right and looked at himself for the first time in a long time. He stood around 6'1", with pale skin from being locked inside for a year. He was skinny, and not as muscular as he remembered, but still toned. His chest was covered with a single, scratched steel plate, with layers of leather and gambison wrapping around the rest of his torso. His right arm was covered in steel plate, while his left was covered in yet more leather. Both shoulders carried pauldrons. Around his waist was a subligaculum loin cloth, with cloth pants covering his legs. His lower legs were wrapped in gambison, and he wore leather sandals. He finally looked back at the helmet he wore. It was once decorated with a plume and feathers. Now, it was simply a bronze Thraex helmet with one gazelle horn on the right side, with a broken gazelle horn on the left, both pointing at an upward angle behind him.

"This is good." He announced as he placed the buckler at his hip and the sword in its sheath.

"How much will those be?" Naofumi asked Erhard.

Erhard scratched his chin. "Well, for the new guy? Let's call it 10 Silver."

Aldwyn turned around and approached both Erhard and Naofumi. "Thank you for these weapons."

Erhard shrugged. "No problem. But I wouldn't exactly call that buckler a weapon."

Aldwyn looked down at the small shield. "It will be in my hands."

"I see." Erhard responded simply before taking payment. "Anyways, have a good night you three. Good to meet you, Aldwyn." Erhard waved as they exited the building.

Naofumi took a left and made his way down the street, with both slaves following. They eventually reached an inn, and approached the receptionist.

"Welcome back. I see you have a new companion. How many rooms?" Naofumi looked back at Aldwyn.

"I can sleep on the floor. I don't need comfort." Aldwyn announced. Naofumi raised an eyebrow at Aldwyn before shrugging. He put down the money needed for one room before heading up the stairs and into the room they had bought for the night. It wasn't long before they had settled in.

Naofumi and Raphtalia shared the bed, while Aldwyn sat on the floor next to the window. He was surprised that neither of the two had gotten into a prolonged conversation with him, or even with each other. Not many words were exchanged tonight. But he didn't have a problem with that. So long as he can fight, he'd be happy. And who knows, tomorrow might be filled with the possibility to get to know those two better. But that would be for tomorrow. Now is for sleep. And sleep Aldwyn did.

It was warm.

* * *

_**There is chapter one! I hope you guys have had fun reading so far! I have work and such, so I may have to slow down in the future when I start school again, however, I still plan to go along with this story for as much as I can. **_

_**Reviews are welcomed, and I will gladly answer questions asked in them and respond to the reviews as well. **_

_**And as promised, I will provide a character sheet template for anyone willing to put their OC in the story. Remember what was said up above about making them. Have fun!**_

_**Character Sheet Guidelines**_

_**Name: (Self-Explanatory)**_

_**Gender: (Also Self-Explanatory)**_

_**Race/Species: (Must exist in the lore or at least make sense)**_

_**Age: (Self-Explanatory)**_

_**Sexuality: (You into Guys, Gals, Both?)**_

_**Physical Appearance: (Detailed explanation of the person's body, including Height, Weight, Facial Appearance, Body Type, Blemishes or Birthmarks, etc.)**_

_**Equipment: (Things on them, such as Armor, Clothing, Books, Trinkets, etc.)**_

_**Weapons: (Nothing to impractical or downright OP.)**_

_**Magical Abilities: (Again, nothing impractical or OP. They can learn more powerful spells over time. Must also follow lore mechanics.)**_

_**Occupation: (Slave, Blacksmith, Merchant, etc.)**_

_**Level: (Cannot be 30 or above before a certain point. This will change after the Queen appears.)**_

_**Likes: (Things they like, enjoy, find interesting or really love.)**_

_**Dislikes: (The opposite of Likes.)**_

_**Hobbies: (Things they do outside of fighting and training. Can, in fact, include training.)**_

_**Skills: (Things such as: Metal Crafting, Cooking, Hunting, Etc.)**_

_**Personality: (A detailed description of how this person acts and what they are like.)**_

_**Personality Traits: (Simple traits that can be listed off, like: Loving, Supportive, Spiteful, Wrathful.)**_

_**Fears: (Things the a person fears. Must make sense, and cannot be nothing. Everyone has a fear of something.)**_

_**Backstory: (A detailed description of this person's life between the moment of Birth to their current situation. Can skip over some parts of their life to get to better bits.)**_

_**Country of Origin: (What country they were born in.)**_

_**Economic Level: (Homeless, Poor, Adventurer, Wanderer, Middle Classed, Noble, Royalty)**_

_**Relation to Other Characters: (Must make sense and be relevant to their character.)**_

_**Other: (Anything you would like to add that I left out.)**_

_**PM me the sheets once you are finished. Good luck!**_


	2. Chapter 2: The Rat from Requidas

_**Welcome back to chapter two of Slave Prince! Like I said before, I've had a good majority of these scenes written out, a bit bare bones so it can be edited later on, and given some wiggle room to add new stuff later on. **_

_**Anyways, as for those Reviews that I got...**_

_**Sandshrew Master 317: I'm glad you noticed that. I wanted those two to develop off screen before Aldwyn joined the mix. It would make more sense for Raphtalia and Naofumi to spend time with just them to develop, THEN add Aldwyn. **_

_**Zinmaster 24: I appreciate the compliment. While the series as a whole won't be too dark or gritty, it will still be a bit more mature, as I plan on adding more death and such with the arrival of Aldwyn. As for maining Shinobi...Hey, at least it isn't any of the Chinese characters. Thanks for the support. **_

_**calderoneric758: Thanks. I'll try to keep up with the story as much as I can. **_

_**Anyways, on with Chapter 2. **_

* * *

Aldwyn stood leaning against the wall of the medicine shop, waiting for his master to finish selling his wares. It was around noon, and so far, the group of three merely walked around town, with Naofumi going in and out of different shops.

The gladiator watched people walk by, some giving him an odd glance every now and then. He was still getting used to the bright sun and blue sky, but it was nonetheless refreshing.

The door next to the gladiator opened. Naofumi and Raphtalia exited, with the former holding a bag, no doubt full of coin.

"Alright, that's about everything. Now we can head out and level up." Naofumi announced to the two. The Shield Bearer turned to Aldwyn. "I'm going to watch how you fight. That way I can see if you're going to be on the frontlines or not."

"Whatever makes the most sense to you, Captain."

Naofumi gave Aldwyn an odd glance. "Captain?"

Aldwyn, in response, shrugged. "It sounds better than saying Master. Besides, it's rather fitting, don't you think?"

Naofumi also shrugged. "Well, it doesn't really matter to me. Now let's get going." The two companions nodded in agreement, but before they could take more than two steps, a low growling noise made them stop, emanating from Raphtalia. Naofumi sighed. "Lunch first. Leveling up after."

* * *

The tavern they went to wasn't very busy, and Naofumi liked it that way. They had sat down and all ordered the cheapest lunch set, as per usual. Aldwyn sat next to him, the gladiator staring at the table. While he enjoyed peace and quiet, Naofumi did find it a bit awkward.

"So, Aldwyn, where are you from?" The man in question looked up across the table, meeting Raphtalia's gaze.

"...Why? Does it matter?" Aldwyn seemed a bit hesitant.

"If we want to get to know you, then yes." Raphtalia replied with a smile. "I was born and raised in this county, Melromarc. You?"

Aldwyn continued to gaze at her, almost not wanting to answer. "I'm...From a place called Requidas. A country west of here. Ever heard of it?" The other two shake their heads. "It's a country of grasslands, forests and tundra. It's not very different from this place, but different enough."

Raphtalia tilted her head. "How so?"

Aldwyn sighed. "It's a country that values warriors over nobility. In all technicality, warriors are nobility. Every man who isn't a slave has to enter the army and be enlisted for at least two years. Being in the military, and staying in it, is one of the highest honors one can get. Even our leaders must have been or must be soldiers. The same goes for the Archon. We are a warrior society. Always have been, always will be." He remembered his time as a young boy, wanting to join the military and serve his country with pride.

Raphtalia nodded, seeming to be fascinated, while Naofumi listened in with the same neutral expression. To Naofumi, this country sounded a bit like a different version of Russia.

"Were you in the army?" Raphtalia asked.

"No. By the time most boys my age entered the military for training, I was already a slave, and fighting in the arena." Aldwyn responded plainly. Raphtalia seemed to regret asking.

"I'm sorry for bringing that up." Her ears flopped down, and she bowed her head apologetically. Aldwyn simply waved his hand nonchalantly.

"No, it's fine. I've been enslaved for so long that I've grown used to it. Doesn't bother me much."

As he finished, the server came along with the food they ordered. Now that their food was there, it made Naofumi look over to Aldwyn. He'd have to take off that helmet to eat. Raphtalia also noticed, but began to chow down on what was in front of her. Aldwyn placed his hand under the helmet and grabbed it. He lifted it above his head and set it down onto the table.

The first thing they noticed was that Aldwyn's skin was still a ghostly pale, even more so under the helmet. Not many scars adorned his face, merely one going diagonally across his left eye, another is a deeper looking scar going from his chin to his right cheek, and one final small scar on his bottom lip. His left eye is grey, with the other one being a bright blue. His lips looked pale, dry and cracked. There was some light stubble on his face. He had only recently gotten the chance to clean himself up, and decided to shave. His hair was an almost a dull dark brown, the length of it going down to his mid back with some of the hair covering his left eye a bit.

His face was pretty average for a man like him, however, the part of his hair that covered his eye partially was Snow White. What made it stranger was that Aldwyn had moved the white streak up, making it blend in with the brown hair.

This was the first time the other two had seen Aldwyn's face, but neither commented as they began to eat.

Naofumi noticed that Aldwyn ate quickly, almost how Raphtalia did when he brought her here for the first time. It seems he was having the same reaction she did, since all they ate while in captivity was stale bread and gruel.

Upon finishing their meals, it was time to head out into the forests surrounding the city. Naofumi wanted to see what Aldwyn was capable of. Raphtalia was trained by trial and error, and by fighting in the field. He didn't know how Aldwyn would fare, and if he needed to train as well.

When they reached the edge of the forest, a small group of balloons had already seemed to spot them and were making their way towards them. Naofumi readied his shield, while Raphtalia unsheathed her sword. Aldwyn clutched his shield and short sword.

"Alright Aldwyn, let's see what you can do. Take out those balloons." Naofumi gave the gladiator a simple order. Aldwyn nodded and approached the balloons, all of them varying in color.

A red balloon was the first to pounce on Aldwyn. It flew in the air, aiming to bite down on the gladiator's head. However, when it got into close proximity, Aldwyn simply slashed his sword in the red balloons general direction, popping the weak creature. With an opening, an orange balloon took the chance to try and go for Aldwyn's sword arm. However, the gladiator was quick to move the buckler in the balloons path. The orange monster bit down on the side of the small shield. Aldwyn raised the buckler into the air and quickly brought it down, slamming it to the ground and crushing the balloon, causing it to pop.

Aldwyn took a step back to analyze. There were three more. One red, one orange, and one black. They were all generally the same size, and all close to each other. This should prove to be easy.

The red and orange balloons attacked in unison, jumping at Aldwyn. Once again, Aldwyn caught one with his buckler, and stepped aside for the other one to miss and fall to the ground. Aldwyn flipped his sword to face downward and stabbed the red balloon on the ground, killing it. When he turned his head, the black balloon was already in the air and flying towards him. He swung the buckler and hit the black balloon, making the orange balloon still on the small shield cause the black one to fly towards Naofumi and Raphtalia.

Raphtalia effortlessly stabbed the black balloon flying at them, a pop signifying it's death. Aldwyn turned back to his two companions, simply poking the orange balloon with the tip of his sword before it popped.

Naofumi grinned. "Not bad for your first fight in who knows how long." Aldwyn simply sheathed his sword and nodded.

"That was easy. And it was very much needed. It feels good to hold a sword again."

"Good. Because we're going to be killing these things for a while." Naofumi replied as he began to walk into the forest ahead. Both Raphtalia and Aldwyn were quick to follow. A long day of balloon killing ensued.

* * *

The three of them had made a camp for the night next to a stream. Naofumi had caught fish for them so they wouldn't use up any supplies they had. Raphtalia was already asleep, leaving The Shield Hero and The Gladiator awake.

Both men sat in silence, with the Shield Bearer working on crafting potions from the different herbs he collected over the day.

Naofumi stopped grinding the herbs down for a minute, looking up at Aldwyn, who was staring at the fire.

"You said you didn't mind talking about your slavery, right?" Aldwyn looked up from the fire to look at Naofumi.

"I don't. Like I said, it's become something of a normalcy to me." Aldwyn replied, removing his helmet, his hair dropping down as he did. "Being in chains for thirteen years, you tend to not care about it anymore, and start thinking about other things. Trust me, you get used to it."

"Thirteen years? Huh...So you were a gladiator, right? You've fought and killed people in the ring?" Naofumi grabbed a stick and poked at the fire, stirring up the embers, making some fly gently into the air and go out.

"In my home country, Gladiators don't normally kill an opponent if they are human or Demi-Human. The only time a death occurs between two fighters is if one deals a killing blow on accident, or it was a fight to the death, which is only allowed when one of the two is a criminal who's been sentenced to death. Most of the time, Gladiators only kill when they fight animals and monsters, like tigers or trolls."

"Really? No deathmatches? No big free for all's?" Naofumi knew of the stereotypes of Gladiators from Roman times, but could the ones from this world be so similar?

"No. Not unless they feel like losing all their fighters in a big fight where only one prevails. We aren't that savage." Aldwyn shrugged, running his hand through his hair. While it would be somewhat common for another Gladiator to suffer injuries ranging from minor to severe, they were told and taught to not kill the opponent. Simply disable and incapacitate. "Although, there is a Battle Royale Tournament. Up to 20 fighters at a time enter the ring and fight with their fists, blunt weapons, or nets. Although, those tournaments aren't common, since there's a much higher chance of getting mortally wounded or killed on accident."

"I see...And what did you fight most of the time?"

"Most of the time I either dualed other Gladiators or executed people sentenced to death."

"So you've killed before. Say, how did you become a slave in the first place?" Naofumi asked. He knew it was a touchy subject for Raphtalia, but Aldwyn didn't seemed to be bothered by talking about it. However, the Gladiator took a long pause. He thought that he did something wrong by asking this, however, Aldwyn responded moments later.

"...I ah...I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Got captured when I was alone."

"And what about your paren-"

"They're dead." Aldwyn was quick in his response, as if he was prepared for what to say. He didn't show any sort of remorse or sadness. He simply looked hesitant. "I'd like to leave it at that, if that's alright with you."

Naofumi remained silent for a moment before nodding. "You know, that slave trader said you didn't talk much."

"I didn't. Not to him at least." Aldwyn shook his head in memory of the slave house. "No reason to. He's simply a trader. He doesn't care too much about what us slaves have to say. I don't blame him either. Most just complain, whine, or threaten to kill."

"Yeah, I get it." Naofumi looked up at the sky, and felt a sudden wave of exhastion come over him. He stood up and stretched, cracking his neck. "Aldwyn, you get watch. Wake up Raphtalia in a few hours to switch." Aldwyn nodded, and Naofumi laid down on his sleeping bag, letting sleep overcome him.

When Naofumi slept, Aldwyn sat on a rock near the stream. It was his first full day spent with them, and he got a general understanding of the two.

Aldwyn could see that Raphtalia was a bright young girl, who clearly cares a lot for Naofumi. She stands by him, and does so with pride. She matured physically, but still had the mind of a child.

Naofumi was an interesting character to say the least. There were times he saw the Shield Hero become cynical and quiet, brooding as they went. But Raphtalia was quick to change his mood to a more neutral state, even if it wasn't drastic. The man had clearly been wronged somehow. He just hoped it wouldn't affect their fighting ability.

Aldwyn liked them. His first real talk in many years was with them both, and for once, he didn't mind it. In that cesspit, his only form of company was Barstone, and that grumpy Demi-Human was usually quiet most of the time. This was a new beginning for him, even if his position in society hasn't changed. And for once, he was hopeful of the future.

* * *

_***One week later***_

It had been nearly a week since the Shield Hero had purchased Aldwyn, and so far, things were going alright for the trio. Leveling up and selling their wares from the forest were their usual routine, and it was one that Aldwyn found to be nice. He had plenty of fights, and wasn't locked in a cage when he wasn't fighting. The Gladiator was happy overall.

Naofumi had stopped into town for two reasons. To get some new equipment for them all, and to see the healer to sell some potions, as per usual.

The trio entered Erhard's shop, with the blacksmith behind the counter smiling as he saw them.

"Hey you three! Good to see you again!" Everyone smiled upon hearing the giant of a man greet them. Erhard looked over Aldwyn and Naofumi. Nothing had changed about them, but as he looked to Raphtalia, he garnered a surprised expression. "You look different, young lady. I haven't seen you guys in a while, and I was getting worried. How did she…?" Erhard was confused as to how Raphtalia appeared to be so much older.

"We've been out leveling up a bunch, and I had the innkeeper teach her some proper table manners." Naofumi answered, his arms raised a bit.

"I wanted to eat like a proper person." Raphtalia answered gleefully.

"Anyways, she's stopped coughing, and she's been eating more than she did. Isn't that right, Raphtalia?" Naofumi said as he put a hand on his hip. He seemed proud to have changed his two companions for the better.

"Don't say it like that! You make it sound like I got fat!" Raphtalia whined to Naofumi. Aldwyn remained behind them, snickering at the banter between the other three. But Erhard noticed him.

"Eh, and how about you, Aldwyn? You seem to be looking better yourself!" Aldwyn looked down at himself. He seemed to have gained weight himself, and some muscle mass. He wasn't as skinny as before, and his armor hugged him tightly. Even his skin tone had changed, the pale white tone now being properly tanned from being exposed to the sun so much. And with his helmet being off more often, his brown hair had much more color to it than before, not being as dulled.

"Ah, Yeah. Getting active again has helped out a lot. I finally feel like I used to before I came here." Aldwyn stood proudly, raising his shoulders a bit. Erhard have them a hearty smile. This past week had been good for the Gladiator, and he was starting to feel like himself again. Mostly.

"Anyways, what can I do for you?"

"I thought it'd be time to get Raphtalia and Aldwyn better weapons and-" Raphtalia suddenly grabbed Naofumi's arm, catching the Shield Hero by surprise. She gripped the arm tightly, and Aldwyn could see the look of discomfort on his face.

"We wanted to get some good armor for Mr. Naofumi!" Raphtalia seemed adamant on changing the reason as to why they were there in the first place. Much to Aldwyn's disappointment, too, as he wanted a new sword and perhaps a better arm cover. The two began to argue about either getting weapons or armor, while Aldwyn and Erhard spectated.

"They uh, do this a lot?" Erhard asked, resting his head on his hand. The blacksmith couldn't help but grin as he witnessed the two argue. He chuckled lightly at the scene being displayed before him.

"More than they'd like to admit." Aldwyn replied. "But it never escalates further than this."

"If you don't get serious about this, you're going to die." That line made everyone in the room turn to Raphtalia. The Demi-Human held a sword, and gently grabbed the sharp edge of it with two fingers. "This isn't a joke you know. The wave is almost here. You should think about your own equipment."

Naofumi looked as if he wanted to protest, but gave in. "I guess it is coming soon. I heard it would be about a month. I wonder if there is some way to find out when it'll happen."

"You mean they didn't tell you?" The trio turned their heads to Erhard, who had spoken up. "There is a church in the town square, and inside is a big Dragon Hourglass. The sand counts down until the next wave comes. Once the sand runs out, it will transport you to the site of the wave."

Naofumi seemed to scowl a bit after hearing that.

"I don't know when it's coming, so maybe you should go look at the hourglass?"

Aldwyn tilted his head. So, Naofumi was a Hero, yet he didn't know about the Dragon Hourglass? It perplexed him a bit. Why would he not know? Aldwyn thought back to when people would look at the Shield Hero, and either stare with fear or agitation. As Aldwyn thought about it, he was pulled out of his thoughts by more banter.

"I won't wear it! I won't wear chain mail!" Naofumi grit his teeth upon being presented with chain mail armor.

"Fine fine, sorry. Don't get all huffy about it…" Erhard and Raphtalia looked between each other. "How about this. I'll make you some custom armor. Something you'd like, but nothing too expensive. How does that sound?"

Naofumi rubbed his chin upon hearing the offer before nodding. "Alright, deal. Might be nice to have something no one else does. But just make sure it's good. And practical."

Erhard grinned. "Alright! It'll be done in no time! Come back in an hour or two, and I'll have it ready for ya!" He gave a thumbs up and moved to the back of his shop, out of sight.

Naofumi nodded once again before turning around. "Okay. Raphtalia, Aldwyn, let's go." The two slaves followed their master out of the shop, but not before Raphtalia turned back to thank Erhard.

The trio decided that it would be best to get some lunch while they wait. The three arrived at the same place they always ate at, sitting down at the same table. Upon their arrival, a waiter had noticed them and made his way to the table.

"Hello again. What can I get for you this time?" The waiter pulled a small book from his pocket, along with an ink pen.

"Same this as before, two of you're cheapest lunch sets and a children's meal." Naofumi replied, sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms to relax. However, upon hearing his answer, Raphtalia stood up and slammed her hands on the table.

"Uh…?" The waiter got confused. "Is everything alright ma'am?"

"What is it Raphtalia? That was a bit loud…" Aldwyn asked, taking off his helmet.

"I'm an adult! I can order for myself, and I don't need to have the kids meal anymore!" Raphtalia's tail began to wag, and she pouted. She glared at Naofumi, who simply looked back at her with a neutral gaze.

"Um, aren't you technically still a child?" Aldwyn questioned. She was a child about a month ago, and was still the same age. The only thing that's changed about her is her fighting prowess and her physical body. If Aldwyn remembered right, Demi-Human's grow rapidly, mimicking their rise in level.

"Aldwyn's right. And besides, you still like the kids meal, don't you?" Naofumi asked with a shrug. "With the little flag and everything…"

"I….I…." Raphtalia sighed and sat back down, drooping her head and slumping over in her chair, defeated. "Yeah…"

Naofumi raised an eyebrow at his companion. He rolled his eyes and sat forward. "Okay, change that to three of you're cheapest lunch sets." The waiter nodded and wrote down the order, headed back into the kitchen. Raphtalia's head shot up at Naofumi, a wide smile forming on her face. She may look like an adult, but she was still a child on the inside.

"So, Aldwyn…" Naofumi caught the attention of the Gladiator. "Do you think you'll be ready to fight the wave whenever it comes? Do you feel sick? Anything bothering you? I need to know you'll be at a hundred percent. I can't have anyone lagging behind and not being able to do what I tell them effectivly."

"Don't worry, Captain. I'll be just fine. In fact, this is the best I've felt in a while. I'll be more than fine during the wave." Aldwyn couldn't help but grin. He couldn't wait to fight in the wave. He's been wanting to put his skills to the test against tougher targets, rather than smaller, miniscule monsters.

"Good. That goes for you too Raphtalia. Make sure you tell me if anything is wrong before the wave before we deal with it, okay?" The Demi-Human nodded in response.

After they had lunch, the trio wandered around the town for a bit before returning to the blacksmith shop, where Erhard had prepared...

"The Barbarian Armor!"

Aldwyn examined Naofumi's new armor. Fur lined his shoulders and neck, along with the padded leather armor on his thighs and gauntlets. There was a steel breastplate on his chest, as well as steel chains in his legs and arms. And he still had that green cloak.

"Barbarian Armor?"

"Yeah, you look like a pirate or a barbarian or something!"

Naofumi seemed to cringe at the name, but Raphtalia had a smile when he put it on.

"Mr. Naofumi, it looks so good on you!" Her eyes gleamed a bit. Naofumi didn't buy it though.

"Are you kidding me?"

"It's nice armor, Captain. You have steel protecting your heart, where it matters, and padded leather in other vital places. It's not too heavy either, meaning you have some maneuverability." Aldwyn commented, looking over the armor. "...Oh, and it does look nice as far as armor goes."

Naofumi sighed. "Well, you made it for me, Erhard, so I guess I have to wear it."

"Damn right you do!" Erhard didn't seem to take any offense from the Shield Hero's tone. "You can even upgrade it in places as well, given you have the materials for it."

"Upgrading? Sounds expensive…"

"Tell you what. I'll give you a discount!" That threw the hero off for a moment. "We haven't known each other long, but I could tell not long after we met. You're not nearly as bad as they say you are."

Aldwyn leaned over to see Naofumi's face, which was one of utter surprise. But after a minute, it turned from a look of surprise to a look of happiness.

"Thank you."

While Aldwyn hadn't been with the two long, he's never heard his master say thank you as genuinely as he did there.

"That's the face you had when we first met. Keep it that way." Erhard gave his own hearty smile. "Good luck, kid."

* * *

The group of three entered the center of the town, where a very large church stood. Naofumi approached the door to it and hesitantly opened the door. There were many people inside, aside from the people who took care of the church.

"Huh, guess you can just walk in…"

A church hand approached the party of three. "Shield Hero, correct?"

Naofumi nodded. "Yeah. I thought it'd be about time to see the hourglass."

The hand nodded and gestured for them to follow her. "Right this way."

As they made their way through the church, Raphtalia had a look of awe as she took in the sight of the place. It wasn't long before they found themselves in a large room. At the end of a walkway, a large hourglass stood, with a large pile of sand sitting at the bottom. Not much remained at the top. The wave is almost here.

"About 20 hours." Naofumi said to the two. 20 hours? Not that much time left to prepare. However, Aldwyn knew they were ready.

"If it's only 20 hours, then we sho-" Aldwyn was interrupted suddenly by a feminine voice.

"Ew! It's that nasty criminal, The Shield Hero!"

Upon hearing that voice, Aldwyn found himself annoyed. He didn't know who it was, but he already didn't like them. The party of three turned around to see a group of four girls and one man. The two of stood out amongst them was a woman with red hair, covered in not very protective armor and expensive looking jewelry, and the man who had blonde hair tied onto a ponytail, with heavy looking armor and a spear.

"Naofumi? You're still fighting in junk like that? Oh! I forgot! You couldn't fight!" The blonde one began to snicker pompously. Aldwyn rolled his eyes. These two were the typical couple who thought they were above everyone.

"That's rude, isn't it?" Aldwyn commented. He could hear Naofumi's breathing get heavier, as his face contorted into one of pure hatred. However, the Shield Hero refused to face the newcomers.

"So, you came to see the Dragon Hourglass eh?" Motoyasu said in a sly tone, smirking. However, he received no response.

"Hey! Mr. Motoyasu is talking to you! Answer him!" The redhead shouted. Aldwyn saw Raphtalia step in front of them, as if protecting Naofumi.

"Pardon me, but who are you?" She asked in a very calm demeanor. The other party members seem to be mumbling to themselves about Raphtalia. Aldwyn then stood next to her, crossing his arms, drawing the attention of a few of the other companions.

"You don't know about Mr. Motoyasu? He's…" The redhead began to explain, however, she noticed the man in question almost trip over himself.

"Cute…" Motoyasu began to slowly approach Raphtalia. Aldwyn held onto the hilt of his sword in case the blonde one tried anything funny. Motoyasu suddenly grabbed Raphtalia's hands. Aldwyn prepared to draw, however, he began to hear the blonde rant.

"Pleased to meet you gorgeous! I'm Motoyasu Kitamura! Won't you save the world with me?" Aldwyn's mouth hung open underneath his helmet. Was this guy serious? Never in his life had he seen something like this, much less this kind of behavior towards a Demi-Human.

"Sorry, but I'm already with Mr. Naofumi." Raphtalia answered plainly. This brought Motoyasu to look distraught. Aldwyn backed her up.

"Yeah, we're BOTH with him. So back off pal." Aldwyn could swear he saw the redhead's eye twitch. "We were just leaving actually…"

"What?! You can't be with him!" Motoyasu suddenly put his a hand on both Raphtalia and Aldwyn's shoulders. Aldwyn instantly jerked his shoulder, pulling it away from the grasp of the Spear Hero. "There's no telling what-" Naofumi interrupted the blonde by getting up in his face, almost snarling.

"What? I'm just telling the truth. What can you do during the wave? Just protect yourself and watch me save the world." The Spear Hero backed away. "Besides, I thought you were by yourself. Where'd you get your hands in such a cute girl and a...guy?" He turned to the slaves. "Don't tell me you haven't heard the rumors abo-"

Aldwyn placed a hand on the Spear Hero's shoulder before lightly pushing him back. The Gladiator stepped in front of Raphtalia, glaring at Motoyasu. This wasn't well received.

"Hey! Who do you think you are?! You can't push around Mr. Motoyasu like that!" The redhead shouted at the gladiator to no avail, as Aldwyn stood still, staring down Motoyasu. "Hey! I'm talking to you!"

"Shut up." The redhead made a confused look. "You assume you have the right to speak to me. You don't. So go bother someone else, you tiresome wench." Then, the redhead clenched her fists. Her face turned red with anger.

While the redhead stood with her teeth clentched, the Spear Hero got in Aldwyn's face. "Hey! Don't ever treat Myne like that!" He put a hand on Aldwyn again, who immediately pushed it away forcefully.

"Don't you dare put your hands on me again, you filth!" Aldwyn shot back immediately. "I don't care who you are or where you're from. You harass Naofumi again and I won't be afraid to spill some blood." Aldwyn pulled his short sword out slowly, but not fully. Before anyone could do anything else, Naofumi grabbed both Raphtalia's hand and Aldwyn's hand.

"Come on you two. We're leaving." The Shield Hero was quick to pull his two companions out of the church. The other Hero and his party watched as they left, with Myne sticking her tongue out at the leaving trio.

The party of three were quick to leave the city, Naofumi stomping the whole way. As they stepped out into the grasslands a lone balloon bounced towards them as they walked, headed straight for Naofumi. Aldwyn pulled his short sword out of its sheath, but as he did, Naofumi put up his hand.

"Stand back." The Shield Hero growled. The balloon made one more bounce towards Naofumi before he grabbed the small monster and began to slam his fist into it. "Right now...I just...Want to hit something!"

Aldwyn sheathed his sword again as Naofumi pelted to low level monster with punches, cursing as he hit it.

"Mr. Naofumi, what…" Aldwyn places a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

"He's in a bad place right now. Leave him be." The two look out to their master with worried glances. "I've been there before. He just needs some time to vent."

Aldwyn would be lying if he said he didn't want to know why Naofumi was acting like this, but he restrained himself from asking. They didn't need to yet.

When Naofumi eventually calmed himself, the three decided to settle down in the woods for the night. Aldwyn was on watch again. As he stood by, short sword in hand, he couldn't help but think back on the way those other people in the Church treated him. He had heard from the murmurs of a passersby that Naofumi had sexually assaulted a woman on his second night here.

However, this didn't add up. Truly if his new master was like that, he would have tried something on Raphtalia. So far, he's seen nothing. Raphtalia hasn't been touched at all in any sort of sexual way. Could these be lies? Maybe false accusations? Or perhaps Raphtalia is simply not his type. If so, why did he get her of all people? And more importantly, why him?

Aldwyn heard some rustling and turned to see Raphtalia rising from her sleeping bag.

"Raphtalia." Aldwyn greeted her plainly.

"Aldwyn…" Raphtalia responded groggily as she stretched. "Anything interesting?"

"No. Normal night, as always. Go back to sleep. You aren't due for watch duty for another few hours." Aldwyn turned back to the forest, rolling his shoulders. However, instead of going back to sleep, Raphtalia stood and walked next to Aldwyn, looking up at the stars. The sounds of rushing water from the stream next to them and the chirps of crickets were the only sounds being made. Until she spoke.

"...Do you ever miss home?"

"...Sometimes."

"I miss home."

"Then why not ask us to visit it? It can't be that far."

"...It's farther than you think…"

"I see…"

"..."

"..."

"...I'm sorry."

"For?"

"I haven't tried to get to know you all that much since I asked you about where you're from."

"Don't worry about it. I'm not that interesting."

"Oh come on, surely-"

"I'm serious. For the past 13 years. I've done nothing but fight, kill, and wait in cells. In my youth, I was a street rat. That's all there is about me."

"Oh…"

"...Raphtalia?"

"Yeah?"

"Go to bed."

"Okay."

* * *

_**There's chapter 2! I hope you guys enjoyed this one, as it was a bit longer than the last one. I originally had this split into two chapters alone, however, it would be longer and better if I simply put them together. **_

_**So, Aldwyn has finally met Naofumi's rival, Motoyasu and his puppet master, Myne. Already, he has a hatred of them, and has grown to like Naofumi and Raphtalia rather quickly within the week. **_

_**More to Aldwyn's character will be revealed in later chapters, and I intend on adding an entirely new arc for Aldwyn to grow later on. However, that won't come about until much further down the line. **_

_**Anyways, make sure to follow and favorite if you wish to, and don't forget to rate and review. Have a good one!**_


	3. Chapter 3: Roar of the Lion

_**Hello everyone. I'm back with another chapter. **_

_**I was able to complete around 50% of what I had backed up originally, and am now back on track for writing the story. It took a while to get to this point for me, and I also rushed a bit of it and stopped playing games to do most of this. However, now I actually have this and I'm going to continue. **_

_**As for OC's and such, I think I will discontinue that portion after a talk with a few people about to future of this story. I apoligize to those who had sumbitted, but I would like to thank those who did for their interest and participation. I might open up to OC's again in the future and I might not. We'll have to see. However, I still appreciate those who sent in OC forms. **_

_**In other news, I've also had an few ideas for other stories I might do when this one eventually ends. However, those will have to wait until this is over. **_

_**And thank you for those who have supported me along so far. It means a lot to see all the people who enjoy this. **_

_**Anyways, sorry for the delay. On with this show.**_

* * *

The waiting was the worst part. Even when he fought in the ring, he had to wait for the announcer to hype up the crowd. Before then, he had to wait to get released and have his gear given to him. He wasn't very patient, and this upcoming wave was no exception. Aldwyn wished it would just show up already so he could fight something that would die in a single strike.

Naofumi, Aldwyn and Raphtalia waited in the city, with Aldwyn impatiently tapping his foot, waiting for it to start.

Aldwyn wasn't paying attention to anything. He was simply thinking about what he would be able to fight once the wave began. And he hoped it was something that would challenge him. However, when he turned to ask Naofumi how much longer they had to wait, he held his tongue. He saw Raphtalia speaking to him, with his back turned to her.

"I am your sword! I'll follow you anywhere!"

Aldwyn remained quiet as Naofumi acknowledged what Raphtalia had said. Just as he was about to walk up to Naofumi and ask how much longer, he felt something odd. Suddenly, as if a spell had been cast on them, the group of three suddenly found themselves in a forest.

"We've been teleported! But where…?" Naofumi frantically looked around before he saw the sky. "The Sky, it's…..Cracking?!"

Aldwyn turned his head to the sky, witnessing the sky itself cracking like glass. "Holy hell. It's like the Apocalypse…"

"It's the Wave of Destruction!"

The trio heard the stomping of feet, and turned their heads towards the sound. The three other hero's and their parties were charging straight for the crack in the sky.

"Wait, look!" Raphtalia called out. Her finger pointed towards a mine. Aldwyn has passed by it along with them a few times, but they never went inside. But that must mean… "We're close to Riyute village!"

Naofumi suddenly turned to the other three hero's. "Wait! We have to evacuate the village!" His pleas were unheard as the hero's marched towards the crack in the sky. The only thing they stepped to do is launch a flare into the sky.

"Just a flare…?" Aldwyn shook his head. That's all they would do?

"Mr. Naofumi, the village is closer to the wave than we are! If it attacks them, they'll be decimated!"

Naofumi clenched his fists before making a sprint for the village. "Come on you two!" Aldwyn and Raphtalia followed him, sprinting alongside him.

* * *

The village was already being attacked by the time they got there. And monstered surrounded the village. Things weren't looking good.

"Air Strike Shield!" An undead who would have killed a villager only hit a green transparent shield. Raphtalia quickly moved in and hacked the monster down, saving the villager.

"Raphtalia! Evacuate the villagers! Aldwyn! Find out where the monsters are coming from and try to hold them off!" Naofumi ordered, preparing to defend himself against any advancing undead.

"What about you?!" Raphtalia looked as if she wanted to protest.

"I'll draw off the enemies who are in the town!" Raphtalia hesitated, but took the villager behind her and guided him away from any monsters.

Aldwyn tapped Naofumi on the shoulder lightly. "Fight well, Captain. GLORY, OR DEATH!" Aldwyn quickly charged off in the direction of the crack in the sky, causing a few monsters to follow him.

As Aldwyn left the village limits, he turned to see what was following him. Two undead shamblers and three giant wasps.

"Come on! Fight me!" Aldwyn charged back in the direction of the monsters, leaping and shoving his sword through the neck of an undead, while smashing his buckler into the face of the other. He pulled the sword out of the undead, causing its head to fall off. Aldwyn looked up at the sound of buzzing, with two wasps coming for him. He ducked his head under the first one, and swung his sword left, slicing the wasp in half. It's brownish blood splashed over him as he turned down to the undead on the ground, slamming his foot on its head, it's brittle skull getting crushed.

He didn't have time to appreciate his handiwork as the third wasp flew directly towards him. He heard buzzing behind him, meaning the other one he dodged was also coming for him. He quickly dropped to his knees, letting the two wasps slam into each other and crash to the ground. Aldwyn stood up and skewered them both.

Upon pulling his sword out, his saw a large hoard of monsters approaching him.

"Okay...I'm ready!" Aldwyn charged towards the hoard of monsters. He swung left and right as undead charged him blindly, getting cut down. A larger monster pushed some others aside, wielding a large axe. It brought the axe down, with Aldwyn bringing his buckler above his head, the axe getting lodged into it. However, the force from the blow brought the gladiator to his knees.

"Bastard!"

Aldwyn pulled his arm back and stabbed his sword into the knee of the beast, causing it to move back a bit, loosening the force being put on him. Using this chance, he pulled himself back, the axe slipping from the monsters hand. However, his sword was still lodged into the monsters knee. He pulled the axe from his shield and held it in both hands, being heavy for a human. The monster was trying to pull the sword from its knee while undead flooded in front of it.

Aldwyn stretched back with the axe and swung it forward, spinning himself with it as the undead were cut down in droves. However, a large wasp flew above the radius of the spinning and knocked the gladiator over, making the axe go flying. Aldwyn tried to get up, but an undead brought down its spear and tried to stab his throat. The gladiator grabbed hold of the blade, the weapon cutting into his skin and he tried to keep it back.

Aldwyn pushed the spear down and let go, the spear stabbing into his shoulder. He groaned in pain but fought through it, kicking the undead back and getting up quickly. As he did, he saw his short sword fly past him. The bigger monster was up, and looked angry. Aldwyn tore the spear from his shoulder and aimed it at the giant.

"Go down already!" Aldwyn tosses the spear at the monster, the spear going into its chest. The giant groaned and staggered back. The gladiator saw this as a chance. He picked up a mace off the ground that belonged to one of the undead and ran at the giant. He jumped at it, grabbing the spear and used it to pull himself up. Once they were face to face, the gladiator swung the mace down on the monsters head multiple times. The giant monster grabbed the mace before another blow could be struck and threw it away from Aldwyn. Aldwyn quickly raised his left hand with the buckler, the edge of it gleaming.

"DIE!" Aldwyn shoved the bucklers edge into the monsters forehead, the edge cutting into the head. It stumbled for a moment before dropping to the ground, dead at last. Aldwyn pulled his buckler out, facing the monster army that was still there. Breathing heavily, the gladiator rose, standing on the chest of the monster, chuckling.

A larger creature, an ogre, burst from the horde, a goblin, weilding a large hammer. It advanced quickly and swung the hammer to it's right. Aldwyn only had enough time to lift up his buckler before being hit and sent tumbling off of the larger monster he had just killed. Standing back up, he saw the Ogre jumping and raising his hammer to the sky to slam it down on Aldywn. The Gladiator quickly rolled backwards, the hammer slamming into the ground and raising up dust. Aldwyn made use of the range of the spear and jabbed it into the eye of the ogre from a distance. The ogre cried out in pain as Aldwyn tore out the spear and shoved it into it's chest, going straight into it's heart. Or so he thought.

The ogre huffed out in anger and grabbed the spear, shoving it back at Aldwyn. Still holding the hammer, it swung it wildly at the Gladiator, who backed up at every swing. Aldwyn's back hit something as he dodged another swing. He turned and saw that it was a wagon, with the long handles to it resting on the ground. He heard the ogre chuckle, raising the hammer to squash Aldwyn, however, the Gladiator wouldn't be defeated so easily. He hopped over the wagon to the side sticking up, his weight forcing the other side up. The handles were long enough to his the ogre in it's jaw, slamming it's mouth shut. It dropped it's hammer, backing away as it bellowed out. As it opened it's mouth, the tip of it's tongue fell out, blood dripping from the ogres lips.

Grinning, Aldwyn saw his chance. He rushed towards the ogre at full speed, jumping and flying to it. The spear stuck into it's back, making it reel in pain. With Aldwyn hanging on, he climbed up the back of the monster, wrapping an arm around it's neck while he tore out the spear. He got onto the monsters shoulders raising his spear into the air.

He shoved the spear down into the ogres head, the weapon going straight through it and coming out at the bottom of it's jaw. Tearing it out, the ogre fell forward, Aldwyn hanging on as he stood on it's back when it dropped.

Aldwyn breathed heavily as dropped to one knee, becoming exhausted. However, he wasn't done yet. He heard a beastly roar coming from ahead. He saw that the horde from before was being held off by some knights who had been previously protecting the town, much to Aldwyn's luck. But it seems they had ran into some trouble in the form of a wyvern, being nearly as large as an elephant and covered in silver scales. It opened it's mouth and released what seemed to be black fire, outlined in white. The knights backed off to avoid the flames, which Aldwyn could feel from a ways away. Aldwyn smiled as he witnessed the wyvern roared again. He stepped off of the ogre and made his way to the knights, stepping in front of them.

"Pardon me, but-" An older knight spoke before...

"I'll handle this. Just keep those smaller ones off of me." Aldwyn couldn't help but smile. There, in front of him, was a beast unlike anything he's ever seen. And the glory of killing it would be all his.

"Come on, big guy. You and me…" Aldwyn pointed the spear at the wyvern, the large beast screeching in response. "BLEED FOR ME!"

Aldwyn ran into a sprint, wasting no time to kill the wyvern. The wyvern flapped it's wings, pushing wind towards Aldwyn in an attempt to slow him down. However, the Gladiator kept moving, not letting anything stop him. The wyvern spun and swiped it's tail at Aldwyn quickly, however, he jumped over it, stabbing his spear into it as he was dragged over to it. He got off just in time for it to turn to him. He saw it preparing to breath more fire on him, so he rushed forward and slid under it, hitting it in the jaw with his buckler. The beasts jaw snapped shut, the black fire escaping it's mouth for a moment. It growled and flapped it's wings, lifting itself into the air before kicking Aldwyn to the ground. It landed back to the ground, trapping Aldwyn with it's clawed feet. It screeched at him, a glow forming at the back of it's throat. The Gladiator attempted an escape by stabbing it's foot with the spear, however, it merely shoved the spear away from him. Just as it was about to cook him alive, an arrow flew into it's eye, making it recoil and step off of Aldwyn.

"Get it now!" Aldwyn heard a feminine voice call out to him. Aldwyn crawled to the spear and picked it up, sprinting back to the wyvern. It saw him with it's remaining eye, swiping it's wing at him. However the Gladiator swung his spear at the wing, causing the wing to be torn. It once again recoiled, and Aldwyn resumed his advance. He dodged arrow fire from some undead, and got up close to the wyvern. It's face dropped down to his level, preparing to breath more fire. However, Aldwyn bashed it in it's snout with his shield, making it raise it's head. He then slid under the wyvern, raising his spear to it's chest. He continued sliding under the monster, causing it's belly to be cut open and blood spill out of it. It screeched out in agony for a few more moments before it dropped to the ground, a puddle of blood forming around it.

Aldwyn stood up, covered in the blood of the wyvern. He climbed on top of it, facing the horde of monsters before letting out a roar of his own. One in victory.

The monsters seemed to back off a bit, only for an arrow to fly from somewhere in the hoard and hit Aldwyn in the chest. Another arrow flew at him, getting deflected off the side of his helmet. Another flew into his left thigh, then his lower left leg, and then his right shoulder. Aldwyn turned around to take cover with the wyverns body. Aldwyn fell to the ground, bleeding from the arrow wounds and spear wound. Said spear laid next to him. He grabbed the spear and stood up, raising his shield to meet another arrow.

"Let's go!" He was ready to make another charge before the crack in the sky suddenly began to disappear. As it did, the monsters in front of him looked to be retreating. Aldwyn turned around and saw a large team of knights charging at the undead. He recognized some as the knights from before, but most seemed to have just arrived.

"Heh...About damn time…" Aldwyn dropped to one knee, taking a minute to breathe. A knight approached him, crouching down.

"Are you alright sir? You need to be healed." It was the female knight from before, who shot the wyvern in the eye. She reached out a hand to him, but his pushed it away.

"I'll be fine! I just need to sit down for a minute." Instead of sitting down there, Aldwyn stood up, pushing the knight aside, walking back to the village. Well, he stumbled back to the village. Along the way, he found his short sword and placed it back in its sheath, still holding onto the spear.

Upon reaching the village, Aldwyn noticed it was heavily damaged. But there weren't any dead bodies around, so that was a good sign. Aldwyn saw Naofumi patting Raphtalia's head.

Raphtalia opened her eyes and looked past Naofumi, seeing Aldwyn stumbling towards them, the arrows still sticking out of him.

"Mr. Naofumi! L-Look!" Naofumi turned around, seeing Aldwyn. "He's…"

"I'm fine...I just need to...Sit…" Aldwyn reached to his shoulder, tearing out an arrow, but groaning in pain as he did, once more falling to his knees.

Raphtalia and Naofumi rushed to his side, picking the gladiator up and dragging him with them. "Come on, let's get you back to the city…" Naofumi grunted as they dragged the man.

* * *

"Are you sure you can attend the party? You're still kind of hurt." Raphtalia held her hands together, concerned for the gladiator. They were currently inside a healer's shop, in the back room after having the arrows removed and the wounds healed. The more internal wounds were healed as well, though they still hurt. Aldwyn has bandages covering most of his chest before he put his tunic on, groaning in pain at his sore muscles and still healing wounds.

"I'll be okay. Besides, it's just a party. I don't plan on dancing or anything. I'm only going to do three things. Eat, drink, and drink more until I'm drunk."

"We wouldn't even be going if it wasn't for the reward they're giving us for the wave." Naofumi scowled. He was brooding by the window, a frown on his face.

"Well, we should head over there before it ends so we can actually get the reward." Raphtalia said, opening the door and gesturing for them to walk out.

Aldwyn stood up, putting the last piece of armor on himself before nodding. "I'm ready."

Naofumi squinted, looking at the castle from the window before sighing. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

The trio made their way to the castle, where Aldwyn did exactly what he intended. Eat, and drink. Unfortunately, they had no ale. Only wine. And he wasn't a fan of wine. So he drank the water they had. He wasn't with Naofumi currently, since his master was in a bad mood. So he simply stood in a corner of the room and ate the food he had collected. The nobles of this castle did their best to stay away from Naofumi and his companions, but Aldwyn was completely fine with that.

"Hey! Here you are!" Aldwyn heard a shout from the other side of the room. When he lifted his head, he saw that Spear Hero approaching Naofumi. He didn't like the looks of it, so he put his plate down and his helmet on, jogging over to see what was happening.

"I've heard all about it! That Raphtalia is a slave!"

Upon approach, Aldwyn saw Motoyasu with his hand on Raphtalia's shoulder.

"Hey!" Aldwyn shouted at the Spear Hero. Suddenly, Motoyasu turned and pointed at him.

"I also heard that this guy is a slave!" The Spear Hero kept his accusing stare centered on Naofumi, who kept a neutral expression.

"Yeah, they're both my slaves. So what? Get your hands off of her." The crowd gathering started to murmur and whisper to themselves. Meanwhile, the Spear Hero only got even more angry.

"You can't make a person into a slave! Especially since we're from another world! You can't enslave people!"

"I can't? I'm not sure that's your decision."

Motoyasu took a step back, baring his teeth at Naofumi.

"It's true." Aldwyn spoke up. "It's legal in a lot of countries. I was enslaved in one and moved here."

Motoyasu grit his teeth before turning back to the Shield Hero. "Duel me! If I win, you let them both go!"

Naofumi's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

Raftalia was quick to jump in. "Now hold on a moment! I-" Before she could say anything more, she was suddenly gagged by a guard from behind. Aldwyn was quick to try and push the guard away, but he was restrained by another guard.

"Back off! Don't you dare-!" Another guard was quick to remove Aldwyn's helmet and gag him as well. He pulled as hard as he could to escape the guards grasp, but the blade of a spear was placed to his neck to stop his squirming.

"Raphtalia! Aldwyn!" Naofumi went to try and free his companions, only for the king to step forth.

"I've heard all about this! A Hero?! Taking a slave?! You truly are a criminal! And compared to Motoyasu's compassion? Bah!" The king stood between the two Hero's. "I approve of this duel!"

"Hey! That's not your decision to make! Besides, what do I have to gain from this?! I can't fight without the both of them!" Naofumi argues his case.

The king shot the Shield Hero a nasty look before turning to the two slaves. "You poor things. He's obviously controlled them for too long. They must be restrained."

Raphtalia tried to speak through the gag, while Aldwyn growled almost viciously, pulling against the grip of two guards holding him back.

"Once the Spear Hero wins, we'll remove the slave curse from you two. Don't worry. You'll be free soon enough."

"Hey!" Naofumi tried to grab the Kings attention.

"Naofumi, you're not going turn down a duel, are you? You coward!" Motoyasu shouted and pointed at Naofumi. The Shield Hero turned to Motoyasu, his eyes wide with anger. This caused the Spear Hero to take a step back.

"Fine, have it your way. But if I win, I'll get Raphtalia and Aldwyn back, right?"

"Sure. If you win."

* * *

Aldwyn and Raphtalia were marched along behind the King, being forced to follow. Aldwyn still struggled against his bindings, requiring two guards to keep hold of him. His growls caused the King to turn around.

"What has that blasted Shield Hero done to you? The King stopped in front of Aldwyn. Aldwyn bent his knees forward, lowering him down. Just as he did, he lunged forward, head butting the King in the gut. The guards pulled the gladiator back, making Aldwyn fall to the ground. They once again placed their weapons to his neck.

The King recoiled. Aldwyn could see his face contort into one of fury, but he quickly changed it to one of merely annoyance.

"Clearly he has treated you like an animal. We'll teach you proper manners yet." He turned around and made some distance from the two before they began to move. Aldwyn has stopped his struggling, amused at the King's reaction. He let out a muffled chuckle as they were forced along. Soon, they were brought to the Kings side once again, overlooking an arena. Aldwyn and Raphtalia were forced to their knees. The King stood at the edge of the overlook, and raised his arms.

"The duel between the Shield and the Spear will now begin!"

When Naofumi and Motoyasu began their duel, Aldwyn took the time to look around at the crowd. Everyone attending was either a part of the castle staff or a part of the upper class. They all seemed to want the Spear Hero to win. A shame none of them know the feats of the Shield Hero. If only they knew.

Aldwyn looked back down at the fight, seeing Naofumi charge the Spear Hero and land a punch to his midsection.

"What poor manners. Not like his punch will hurt…" Aldwyn failed to notice the presence of Myne. Aldwyn shook his head. To the normal person, it may have just been a punch. But he and Raphtalia knew better. Once the Shield Hero moved away, it was revealed that a balloon monster had latched itself onto Motoyasu, chomping down on his midsection. This lead to Aldwyn chuckling.

The Spear Hero threw away the balloon on him and charged Naofumi. A shame. The Spear Hero has failed to see that this is a fight between an unstoppable force and an immovable object. The moment he got close, Naofumi changed the Shield to the Two-Headed Dog Shield. Their heads extended, biting down on Motoyasu's arm.

"Mr. Motoyasu!" Myne cried out for him. Aldwyn could only grin.

Naofumi swapped the Shield again, this time using a special ability to trap Motoyasu inside of a shield cage full of balloons. Murmurs came from every seat in the arena. The King seemed concerned.

While he couldn't hear them, Aldwyn saw the two Hero's talking. Naofumi grew an almost sickening smile, holding a balloon. Out of the corner of his eye, Aldwyn could see Myne flick her wrist ever so slightly. Suddenly, an almost invisible force of wind blasted Naofumi off of his feet.

Aldwyn and Raphtalia struggled against their bonds, trying to speak as their master was tossed. The Spear Hero took the chance and recovered, popping the balloons before Naofumi could grab them again. The Spear Hero placed his spear against Naofumi's neck, grinning.

"Victory is mine!"

"No! This was supposed to be a one on one duel! This doesn't count!" Naofumi, got up to his knees.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're friend uses magic to knock me over! That's why-"

Motoyasu shook his head. "That's why you fell? Sounds like you're just being a sore loser."

Naofumi sneered. "I'm not lying! You all saw it, didn't you?!" Naofumi looked to the crowd. However, they remained silent.

"Don't forget he's a criminal! He's lying to you!" Myne suddenly shouted from her spot. Aldwyn growled at her, but she paid him no mind.

"I believe what my daughter, Malty, said is correct." The King said. Both slaves and the master went wide eyed.

Myne, or now, Malty, ran over to praise and ogle Motoyasu. Aldwyn could tell this was foul play. Then again, it's not like they could do anything about it. The King's word was usually absolute.

"Time to break the slave curse on those two." Malty announced. Suddenly, Aldwyn and Raphtalia were forced into the arena and placed down. Two men in robes appeared in front of them. A jug magically altered water was presented to them. As they took it, they said words Aldwyn couldn't recognize. One of them grabbed Raphtalia's shirt and pulled it down just enough to see the slave curse mark. The other one grabbed the armor piece on his chest and pulled it down, revealing his own slave Mark. The water was poured on the marks, making them both burn just ever so slightly, and the two were released.

The moment Raphtalia was released, she slapped Motoyasu.

"Hey!" Malty put her hands on the Spear Hero's shoulders. "What are you doing to Mr. Motoyasu you Demi-Human!?"

Raphtalia sneered. "When did I ever…" She hesitated; her voice shook. "When did I ever ask you to save me?!"

Aldwyn stood up and went to Raphtalia's side as Motoyasu responded.

"What?! You were slaves! He was abusing you!"

"All he did was force me to overcome my fears!" Raphtalia snapped at him. "Mr. Naofumi never...He never made me do anything I didn't want to!"

"She's right. He can't fight on his own, so he needed someone to-"

"It doesn't have to be you! He'd just use and abuse you until you were worn out, and then throw you away!"

"Mr. Naofumi protected me! He let us rest when we needed to!" Raphtalia looked down at the ground. "...Would you reach out to a sick and dirty slave? He gave me medicine. He healed me. He fed me. He used his money and materials on me. He cared for me when no one else did. When everyone else would turn their heads, he didn't. Would you do that for someone?"

"Of course I would!" Motoyasu responded quickly.

"Then where are your slaves?" Raphtalia didn't wait for an answer before she turned around and walked straight to Naofumi.

"She can't be serious…"

"She is." Motoyasu and his companions turned to the gladiator, who had been given his helmet back from a guard. "Tell me, Motoyasu, was it?" The Spear Hero nodded. "Do you know what it's like to waste away in a cell for years? To do nothing but sit in a cage day after day; with nothing to do but wait and hope someone wants to buy you? We both had to sit in a filthy cesspit of dying and sick slaves. We could have been sold off to some Baron who abused his slaves, but Raphtalia and I lucked out. He's shown more care than any of my previous owners had. And to someone who's been a slave since childhood, that really says something. So just know this, Spear Hero. Nothing is ever as it seems."

"Don't-" Malty stepped forward.

"You don't have the right to speak to me wench." Aldwyn turned around and made his way to his companions. "You may be a princess, but that doesn't mean I have to respect you."

As Aldwyn made his way to the other two, he noticed Naofumi was on the verge of tears, with Raphtalia repeating "I believe you." To him. Upon approach, Raphtalia looked up to him.

"How's he doing?" The Gladiator asked. Raphtalia looked back down, holding Naofumi's hands.

"Better, I think." Aldwyn knelt down and placed a hand on Naofumi's shoulder. The Shield Hero looked up to Aldwyn.

"Everything's Fine, Captain. I'm still here. We're still here. Don't let those fools get in your head." Aldwyn placed a fist over his chest. "You've earned my respect and my loyalty. I'm with you all the way. I believe you as well."

Naofumi let tears stream down his face as he remained silent.

"They're both probably brainwashed!" Aldwyn turned his head back to the Spear Hero's shouts, which were directed at what seemed like the other two Hero's. The one with the sword said something, looking over to the three before shaking his head at Motoyasu and walking off.

Aldwyn sat on the ground next to Naofumi while Raphtalia held him.

They remained there until dawn.

* * *

"And we're done." The Slave Trader placed his brush on the table as he finished placing the slave curse back on Raphtalia. Aldwyn has just finished putting his chest armor back on as he did.

"Are you guys sure about this?" Naofumi asked, seeming a bit unsure.

"Oh come on! We already did it!" Raphtalia pouted at the Shield Hero.

"I'm surprised. Who knew that dirty slave would grow into such a woman. And that Gladiator seems to be doing much better as well." The Slave Trader said with his usual smile, putting his tools away.

"Better than I was here, that's for sure." Aldwyn commented as he crossed his arms.

"Such a beauty. Even if she's not a Virgin, she'd still go for 20 Gold Pieces! The same goes for the Gladiator!"

"H-Hey, I'm still a virgin! And I belong to Mr. Naofumi!" Raphtalia protested.

"Then in that case, 35 Gold Pieces! That's a total of 55 Gold Pieces!"

Naofumi's eyes went wide. "55!?"

Aldwyn simply turned his head to Naofumi, glaring at his master through the helmet. Naofumi could feel the death glare.

"S-Sorry, it's just so much money…" Naofumi turned his head towards a box of eggs. "Hey, What are those?"

"Ah, good eye. Those are my 'real' business. Trading monster eggs. It's like a game. Pick and egg for 100 silver pieces for a chance to win a Knights Dragon! Get 10 eggs, and pick from a box with eggs worth 300 silver pieces!" The Slave Trader gave his signature smile as he pitched the eggs.

"I dunno, sounds like a scam…" Naofumi scratched his chin.

"Do I look like the kind of businessman who would lie to his customers!?" The trio gave the slaver a shrug, gaining a sigh from him.

"We might have gotten funds from the crown, but 100 silver pieces might seem like a bit much…Right?" Raphtalia looked to Naofumi, who eyed the eggs.

"...I'll buy one." The Shield Hero went for an egg, picking one at random.

"Splendid!"

"Mr. Naofumi!"

* * *

The Trio made their way along the streets of the city, with Naofumi holding the egg in a capsule.

"I still think it was a stupid idea." Aldwyn said to Naofumi, who shrugged in response.

"I wanted to try it. Besides, we can always make up the money back by raising and selling whatever is inside."

"Whatever you say. I don't trust random chance, though."

The group eventually came to a stop along the wall of a building. Raphtalia pulled out three sandwiches from her pack, saying she got leftovers from the castle kitchen.

"They're a day old, so they may not be as fresh as they were yesterday."

"I can't taste anything, so it doesn't matter much to me." Naofumi grabbed a sandwich and bit into it. Once he did, he recoiled.

"Uh, Captain? You okay?"

"It's good…" Naofumi turned to the other two. "Up until now, I couldn't taste anything...It's…" Naofumi began to devour the sandwich, earning smiles from Aldwyn and Raphtalia as they began to enjoy their lunch.

Raphtalia put her sandwich down. "Mr. Naofumi, I hope you'll share your struggles with us more from now on. We can get over anything so long as we're together!"

Aldwyn was about to comment in agreement, but stopped when Naofumi leaned towards Raphtalia and kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you."

Naofumi and Aldwyn noticed that Raphtalia began to sweat and shudder.

"I'm sorry!" Naofumi apologized. "You don't like that kind of thing?" This caused Raphtalia to become even more flustered.

"Wha? N-no, it's not, it's uh, aaaahhhh…"

Aldwyn put a hand over his mouth and and turned his head away, trying to contain himself from laughing.

"Okay, you're mad. I won't do it again." Naofumi seemed sorry. Aldwyn snorted in his effort to contain the laughter.

'_How is he this clueless?!" _Aldwyn thought as he placed his other hand on the wall to keep himself up right.

"I-I-I, Wait! No! It's fine! It's okay!" Raphtalia put her hands on Naofumi's shoulder with a flustered expression.

It turns out that Aldwyn wasn't the best at keeping in his laughter.

* * *

_**And that was chapter 3! I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. **_

_**So, Aldwyn has showed his hunger for glory, his true fighting prowess and his skill in using multiple weapons. What will be next for this man? **_

_**As always, please feel free to review, and if you enjoyed, please favorite and follow for more updates. **_

_**This is Carbon signing off for now. Have a great day/night. **_


	4. Chapter 4: Three Becomes Four

_**Hello again for another chapter. I've been able to dish these out faster due to having already completing them prior, and it makes it much easier on me to simply copy and paste from another system after editing.**_

**_Anyways, Filo is going to be entering the group soon, so prepare for that. _**

**_Also, like the name of the chapter? Makes sense for the story AND the number of chapters! Ha! I'll stop._**

_**On with the show!**_

* * *

"The lass can use Light and Dark Magic. The lad here can use Elemental Magic. And the Shield Hero is suited for recovery and support magic!"

The trio had been making their way around town, receiving gifts of all sorts from people who have some kind of connection to the town they saved during the wave. People had seen what the three could do and were starting to see past the facade that the Melromarc Royalty had placed on Naofumi.

Aldwyn enjoyed the praise. It reminded him of his time as a Gladiator, the cheering he'd hear on an almost daily basis. It was fun and satisfying.

However, the praise they received also came with gifts, mostly in the form of books. They were just about finished with all the walking around. However, they had one more stop to make. The only reason they even entered the witch's shop was because the herbalist had mentioned that she wanted to seem them.

"Thank you for the reading and the books!" Raphtalia waved to the witch on their way out. Naofumi carried around a pack that was filled to the brim with those books, and it was getting to be exhausted. Thankfully, their last destination wasn't a far one.

"Hey! You three!" Erhard greeted the trio with the same hearty smile. "Good work during the wave! I heard you saved a town!"

Naofumi smiled as he walked in. "Yeah, we did. We've been getting all sorts of praise for it. It feels good."

"Well, you deserve it." Erhard leaned down on the counter. "So, how can I help you today?"

"I actually wanted to request something." Aldwyn said, stepping forward.

"Ah, okay. What do you need?"

Aldwyn pulled something wrapped in cloth from his back. He placed it on the counter. "I found this during the wave. I wanted to see if you could upgrade it so I can use it."

Erhard unwrapped the cloth, revealing a fully metal spear under it. It was a bit rusted, and blood covered the blade of it.

"Woah. Where'd you get this?" Erhard asked as he picked it up, examining the spear. It seemed to be old, but not completely useless yet. The craftsmanship was simple, but it was good.

"I got it during the wave. Picked it up off one of the monsters. Killed a lot of them with it." Aldwyn answered. Erhard looked over the spear, taking a rag and cleaning off the blood.

"Hmm...It'll have to undergo some serious maintenance, and have to be changed up a bit. I hope you don't mind me making a few changes."

Aldwyn shrugged. "No problem. Just make sure it's combat ready. Add whatever you want to it."

Erhard examined it further before nodding confidently. "I'll make you the best damn Spear this side of the world, I can guarantee it."

Aldwyn gave him a thumbs up, smiling at the large man. "Thank you, Erhard. I appreciate it."

The group made their way out of the shop after visiting Erhard and made it out of the city, making their way towards the town they had saved. People waved to them as they walked by, giving them warm smiles as they worked to rebuild their home. Luckily, the inn wasn't as badly damaged as it could have been, and was operational for the most part. They paid for a room and stayed the night, the three of them studying magic. When they were done with the magic, Raphtalia helped Naofumi with learning how to make more advanced medicines and potions.

Aldwyn made his way to one of the beds and went to sleep while they stayed up to study.

* * *

Aldwyn opened his eyes and yawned, sitting up. However, he didn't find himself in the bed he fell asleep in. Instead, he was surrounded by walls, with seats above them. People were standing in front of them, cheering. The ground was covered in a soft blanket of snow and the sky was grey.

On a balcony, four figures stood. To the left was a teenager, a young girl who held a gauntlet in her hand, with a crossbow attached to the top of it. She seemed to be tinkering with it. She had long brown hair, similar to his own, with a white streak like his. Her eyes were the same color of blue as his.

To the right was a man who had a brown buzz cut, and again, a white streak like his own. He wore robes like a scholar, and was holding a book. This man, however, had green eyes, compared to his blue one. Behind him was a man cast in shadow with brown eyes and a scar going across his face horizontally. He had a cocky smirk on his face, holding a hand on the other man's shoulder.

And finally, in the middle, stood a man with a large beard with graying brown hair, and a white streak in the front. He wore a full suit of armor, with a hood covering his head. A crown was placed on the hood. This man also had many scars, and the same blue eyes as himself and the girl.

They all glared at him, almost with an accusing glance. Suddenly, the clicking of chains made Aldwyn look to his left. He saw a young boy, no older than thirteen, covered in leather armor and a helmet, approach him. He held a large shield and a short sword.

The ringing of a bell rung out. Too familiar. The beginning of a gladiatorial match. The child charged at him, but he had no weapons. He couldn't move, and he felt stiff. The boy leapt into the air, preparing the shove the sword straight into Aldwyn's neck.

Aldwyn closed his eyes and prepared to feel the sting of a blade, but instead, he felt something lightly blow against his face. When he opened his eyes, the boy had frozen stiff in the air, and began to turn to ash, the ash blowing against him.

When the cloud of ash dissipated, Aldwyn looked around him and saw that the sky had turned darker. Clouds with a red hue covered the sky, and nearby the city, a crack scarred the sky. It was snowing heavily, and the wind blew a chilling wind. He saw he was elevated above a city, on a staircase in front of a large palace. Around him, he could hear the screams of citizens and the roars of monsters.

The city was burning.

When Aldwyn turned back to the palace, he saw it was also on fire. He ran inside, straight into a long hallway. Dead warriors laying in pools of blood laid on the ground, and at the foot of a luxurious throne, the man with the beard from before laid face down on the floor, a dagger sticking out from his back.

"No!" Aldwyn ran to the man and turned him over. Cold, lifeless eyes greeted him.

Suddenly, chuckling was heard from in front of Aldwyn. He looked up and saw a man covered in a black shroud, smirking with a white grin as he sat in the throne, the same dagger in his hands.

"Bastard! I'll end you, you son of a bitch!" Aldwyn pulled the dagger from the body and lunges at the green eyed man, only for him and the throne to be turned to ash and be blown away. He felt the dagger begin to become light, and looked down to see that it too had turned to ash.

The walls crumbled, and Aldwyn found himself in a frozen tundra, with nothing else but snow capped mountains in sight. It was nighttime, and there were no clouds in the sky.

"Oh, how I've missed you." A feminine voice called to him. Aldwyn spun around, looking for the voice, however, he saw nothing. He felt the helmet on his head become light, much like the dagger. However, instead of ash, his helmet had crumbled into snow, and fell to the ground.

"Who are you?! Where are you?!" Aldwyn called out, his head turning frantically around to find the source of the voice.

"I'm here, little one." The voice called out. When Aldwyn turned around, a woman in white robes and a hood appeared in front of him. Her skin was fair, and she looked quite young. She had blue eyes and blonde hair tied into long braids on both sides of her head, giving Aldwyn a soft smile.

"I've missed you, Leonhard."

Aldwyn staggered back, his breathing becoming more heavy as he began to look panicked. "No...No! Your gone! How can you…?"

The woman gently wrapped her arms around Aldwyn, any tense feelings he had being washed away by the sudden feeling of warmth.

"...Ma…" Aldwyn then wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes. He didn't want to let go. Not again. Not this time.

"Leonhard. It's good to see you again." They didn't move for a few minutes before Aldwyn moved away.

"Leonhard...I haven't heard that name in years." Aldwyn replied, quickly wiping his eyes at the sudden feeling of tears forming.

"I know. You go by Aldwyn now, right?"

"What? How'd you know?" Aldwyn noticed the area around them was more soothing as snow blew behind him lightly

"I've heard rumors of a mighty gladiator who hails from Requidas, and follows the Shield Hero and fights for him. A ruthless warrior with a white streak in his hair and the name of the Carthan Demon Lord of Wrath."

"I see. Have you been doing this? This dream?" Aldwyn asked, still a bit shaken by what had occured.

"No. At least, not fully. You're mind is at your weakest when it's asleep, especially during nightmares. It allowed me to slip in and contact you." She replied, gesturing to the area around them. "I pulled you from the terror and into a more calming place."

"How are you able to do this?" Aldwyn brushed his hair for a moment, the wind carrying it to his right.

The woman smirked. "It's nice to have psychic magic."

"Where did you go? The last time I saw you, you were dragged off by slavers!" Aldwyn was separated from her right after his own slavery began.

"I was taken here." The scene suddenly changed. Now they stood in the front courtyard of a mansion. The sky was clear and blue this time around, and it felt much warmer. An old man was tending to some bushes near the front gate, and a Demi-Human boy swept the steps up to the mansion. Not far from the mansion was a stable with horses and a few Filolials.

"Wha…? Where are we?" Aldwyn examined the area, his head turning quickly.

"Somewhere in Melromarc." Aldwyn went to ask another question, but the woman put her hand up. "My mana is running low, and I'm getting tired. Listen to me. Don't go looking for me. That will only complicate things. You'll find me eventually, my son. In time. For now, focus on assisting the Shield Hero. I'll be seeing you soon." The woman smiled before she suddenly disappeared.

When she disappeared, the area around them suddenly changed again. This time, he was next to a campfire. To his left was Raphtalia, and to his right was Naofumi. Both were asleep. Aldwyn sat down next to the fire, looking up at the stars once again.

"Aldwyn, wake up."

"Who said that?"

"Aldwyn, it's happening!"

"What?"

"The egg is hatching, get up!"

* * *

Aldwyn shot up from his bed, rubbing his eyes. Raphtalia stood next to him, tugging on his arm. Behind her, Naofumi watched the egg, eyes wide.

"Come on, it's going to hatch!" Raphtalia rushed next to Naofumi to watch the egg. Aldwyn stretched his arms and stood up, approaching the counter the egg was on. Cracks on the egg was apparent, and something was struggling to get out. It stopped moving for a moment, leaving the three of them to be silent.

"...Is it…?" Aldwyn rose an eyebrow. Suddenly, the egg exploded, and out came a Filolial chick. It bounced from the counter and jumped on Naofumi's head. It flapped it's small wings, bouncing on the Shield Hero's head.

"Hey! Calm down!" Naofumi held it gently to calm it's bouncing.

"It thinks you're its father!" Raphtalia said as she giggled.

"Ugh...It looks like a bird. What is this thing?" Naofumi poked at it slightly, making it peck his finger. Naofumi drew his hand away from it after.

"A Filolial. They grow to be very big, and they enjoy pulling carriages. Think of how horses act but in the form of a bird. Aside from that, I don't know much about them." Aldwyn shrugged, strapping his armor back on.

"We can go see a villager about it." Raphtalia suggested.

Agreeing with her, the trio made their way to the village stable, meeting the villager who owned it.

"A lot of mine died during the wave. But yeah, they enjoy pulling stuff. They actually get cranky when they don't have anything heavy to pull." The villager answered, using a pitchfork to move some hay.

"What do they eat?" Naofumi asked, looking at the fully grown Filolials.

"When they're young, they eat mashed boiled peas, but as they grow, they start to eat everything. They get bigger as they level up too."

"So, like Demi-Humans? Alright…Let's get you leveled up." Naofumi said to the Filolial that he held in his hands.

"Wait! Hero! Take these beans. You can use them to feed the little one. And don't worry about payment. It's free, since you've done so much for us. It's the least I can do." The villager held out the bag, placing it in Raphtalia's hands.

"Are you sure?" Naofumi asked, hesitant to take the beans.

"Of course. Please, take them."

Naofumi nodded. "Okay then. Let's get this Filolial all leveled up."

* * *

_A few days later._

Aldwyn walked along the road to Riyute Village holding a few bags. Most of them were general supplies. Things like water flasks, salted meats and dried fruits, along with some new camping equipment. Aldwyn also stopped by Erhard's shop and grabbed his new weapon.

Naofumi trusted Aldwyn enough to run back to Melromarc and get some stuff for them before their next outing the day before. Luckily, nothing had attacked him on the way there and back. He finally made his way to the outskirts of the village, making his way in. He approached an old woman who was currently feeding a few chickens.

"Excuse me, ma'am. Do you know where the Shield Hero is?" Aldwyn asked politely. The woman turned and gave Aldwyn a warm smile.

"Of course, young man. He's with his Filolial in the stable."

"Thank you, ma'am." Aldwyn nodded to her and made his way to the stable. Before walking inside, he saw Raphtalia to the side of the stable, peering at something. He made his way to her and placed the bags down, notifying Raphtalia that he was there. She turned around, walking away from the corner of the stable.

"Hey Aldwyn! Got the supplies?" Raphtalia asked, trying to act as if she did something wrong and way playing it off.

"Uh...Yeah. I have enough stuff here to last us a week out on the trail. And I got some new camping stuff too." Aldwyn brought the bags around to the front of him, showing what he got.

"Good! Good. Hey, what's that?" Raphtalia pointed to the weapon wrapped in cloth.

"Oh, this?" Aldwyn pulled it from his back and unwrapped it. "Erhard made it from that spear I found during the wave. He surprised me when I first saw it." When it was unwrapped, it looked completely different from what it used to look like. For one, there was no signs of rust, wear or tear. It looked brand new. It had intricate Requidan designs on the stave that were coated with silver, and brown leather wrappings in the middle of it. The top of it was no longer just a single blade. Instead, it split off into three different blades, all shining.

Raphtalia's eyes widened. "Woah...That looks really cool! What is it?"

"Erhard outdid himself here. He turned the spear into a trident. All I need is a net and I'd be back to how I was in the ring." Aldwyn said with a hint of pride in his voice.

"Woah. Can I-"

"Oh, Raphtalia, you're awake! And Aldwyn's back!" Raphtalia turned to see Naofumi approaching with a hand on his belt.

"Good morning. You're up early." Raphtalia commented. She was right, since there was still dew on the grass.

"Well, I was thinking about Filo…"

Aldwyn tilted his head. "You named it 'Filo'?"

"It needed a name, so I gave it one. Isn't that right, Filo?" Filo chirped in response. Then, out of nowhere, a grumble sounded out from the young Filolial.

"Jeez. Filo's been eating grass all morning and is still hungry? Reminds me of someone I know…" Naofumi glanced over to Raphtalia.

"Hey! I eat like a normal person now!" Raphtalia pouted.

As they began to talk more about Filo, Aldwyn noticed villagers all walking in the same direction, towards the middle of town. He tugged on Naofumi's shirt and pointed to them. Curious, the group of four went to investigate what was going on. Upon approach, Naofumi got the attention of a villager.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"Ah, Shield Hero. Well, you see…" The villager looked back towards the crowd. At the end of it was a platform, and standing on it was Motoyasu and Malty, accompanied by an Entourage of guards from Melromarc.

"-the King has ordered me to oversee the reconstruction efforts here in this town. As it stands, I'm the new governor! Motoyasu Kitamura!"

"Great, the only town I like just got ruined." Aldwyn grumbled.

"Motoyasu?!" Naofumi shouted in frustration.

"Naofumi!?" Motoyasu shouted in a similar fashion. "What are you doing here?!"

"This is my base of operations!" Naofumi seemed to be getting very frustrated. Understandably so. "Wait, why are you the governor?"

"Oh? You just not have heard. Because of his actions during the wave, the King has appointed Mr. Motoyasu as governor of this town." Malty spoke up, a smirk growing on her face. "Now, can the criminal hero please vacate the area?"

Aldwyn clutched his new trident. "Why that-"

"Wait!" An older man stepped forthe. "I'm supposed to be governor here! Why have I heard nothing about this?"

"We just told you. You are relieved of duty. Now, onto business." Malty cleared her throat. "We are going to be applying a tax for entering and exiting the village. 50 silver pieces to enter and 50 to leave."

The villagers began to complain about it. "That's equal to one gold piece!" "That's too much!" "There's no way we can afford that!"

"Do you know how much it costs to stay a night in this village?" Naofumi asked from the back of the crowd. "With meals, it only costs one silver piece. You could easily live here...On 20 pieces of silver. A day. You'd crush the people in your effort to rebuild?"

The villagers began to murmur in agreement. Malty scoffed.

"Improvement entails sacrifice! Without it, nothing would get done!" Malty crosses her arms.

Naofumi clenched his fists and prepared to go up to them. However, a group of people wearing all black in masks dropped down around Malty.

One approached her and presented a scroll. "We have brought new orders…" When Malty took the scroll, she read it with sweat forming on her head. Her face contorted into one of frustration as she began to whisper to herself. Suddenly, she dropped the scroll and pointed to the Naofumi.

"Shield Hero! For control of the village, we challenge you to a duel!"

"What?! Another one?!" Naofumi clenched his teeth. Aldwyn placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Captain. I'm a gladiator. I've fought in hundreds of duels before. Let me fight for you." He pulled his trident close to him. Naofumi swore he could almost feel him grinning behind the helmet. "I'll gladly fight that little shit…"

"Oh, no, it's not that kind of duel!" Malty announced. "It will be a race! Between that Filolial and Motoyasu's Dragon!"

Naofumi shook his head in annoyance. The governor and several other villagers approached him.

"Please Shield Hero! You must win this race! For the sake of our village!"

Before Naofumi could protest, Aldwyn whispered to him. "Think of not only the perks, but how good it'll feel to beat the Spear Hero…"

Naofumi scratched his chin and glanced over to Filo, who was being taunted by Motoyasu.

"This bird can't win! It's not even all white! It's clearly not a purebred! How can-" Filo shot her leg between Motoyasu's legs, hitting him in the groin and sending him flying into the air. A sick grin formed on Naofumi's face.

"Fine then! Let's race and get this over with!"

Naofumi hopped on Filo and prepared for the race. A guard named the rules of the race before Motoyasu and Naofumi got in position. The governor stepped forth.

"On your marks...Get set….GO!"

Filo shot out from the spot they were in, launching them far from Motoyasu and his dragon. The crowd cheered for Naofumi.

"Holy crap! Look at how fast Filo is going!" Aldwyn commented as the bird ran around a bend, going out of sight.

"He's winning!" Raphtalia cheered.

Filo and Naofumi were well ahead of Motoyasu, rushing ahead on the path given to them. Suddenly, Naofumi felt Filo shift and tilt forward.

"Woah!"

Filo fell to the ground. Naofumi looked behind him and saw a hole in the ground, and Motoyasu had just passed them. Naofumi growled and got Filo up and running again, eventually catching up to Motoyasu. They were on their second lap now.

As they began to approached another bend, Naofumi saw a faint glow before Filo began to slow down.

"What? No, don't slow down now!" He patted Filo. "Come on! Focus! We can't lose to them!" Before Filo could do anything, her head got slapped by the dragon's tail.

Motoyasu leaned back with a sly smile. "Woops! Sorry! It's dangerous back there! Stupid bird!"

Naofumi was about to make a retort, however, he heard a growl come from Filo. Suddenly, as if she had gotten some newfound energy, Filo leapt ahead and began to run even faster. Eventually, they got right up next to Motoyasu, where Naofumi gave his own sly smile back before jolting ahead of the Spear Hero.

Another lap had gone by. Naofumi was well ahead of Motoyasu, until he noticed that they were gaining on them. The Dragon seemed to have gotten faster. When Naofumi turned his head straight again, he noticed another, larger hole in the path. However, they both anticipated it. Naofumi pulled the reins on Filo, and Filo leapt into the air, jumping over the hole and landing on the other side of it, sprinting ahead.

Instead of Naofumi falling into the hole, Motoyasu and his Dragon did, causing Naofumi to win the race as he crossed the finish line. The crowd of villagers cheered as the Shield Hero won, surrounding and praising him. Meanwhile, Malty seemed to be having a breakdown, trembling.

The masked people investigated the hole. "Evidence of interference is clear." They approached Naofumi, clearing away any villagers. "As the rules state, the governor will not change, and you are victorious."

Malty stomped her feet. "Again! Duel us again!"

Suddenly, they grabbed both Malty and Motoyasu. "They will be coming with us." They dragged the two away, heading for the city. The village governor then approached Naofumi.

"Thank you so much! That's two times you've saved our village! A reward for the Hero is in order!" The governor bowed to Naofumi. "It might take us a while to gather the funds for your reward, so-"

"I don't need your money." Naofumi stated blatantly. This caused the villagers to become confused. "If you pay me with your construction funds, that race would have meant nothing. So it needs to be something else."

The Shield Hero sighed. "People gossip about me enough already, even if I haven't done anything. I can't have anyone saying how I took money from a village still recovering from the wave."

"Then how's this." The governor presented Naofumi with a badge. "A merchant permit."

"Me? A merchant?"

"Yes. I have a certificate that will allow you to travel the country and sell your wares. I had heard you were raising money by selling medicines and what-not, so I think this would be perfect for you." The governor smiled at Naofumi. "And besides, you have a reputation to contend with. This might help. And since you have a Filolial, we'll even give you a carriage to move around faster. What do you say?"

Naofumi looked at the badge before looking back up at the governor. He smiled back and nodded.

"Alright. I accept."

Away from them, Aldwyn walked over to the path they used for the race. He saw two feathers on the ground, the same color as Filo. It seemed that they had fallen off of her during the race. He picked up the feathers and dusted them off lightly. After some examination, Aldwyn took off his helmet and placed them in the two front feather holders. Two feathers down, four to go. Now if only he could find a proper plume...

* * *

It had been a few days since they got the carriage, and so far, Filo had been loving it. They had travelled around to try out the badge, and so far, it didn't seem like a bad deal. They were in the inn of Riyute again before going to set out again.

It was morning. Naofumi and Aldwyn were in their room, preparing to set off.

"It feels good, doesn't it?" Aldwyn said out of the blue.

"Huh?" Naofumi turned to face him. "What do you mean?"

"The praise. The cheers of the crowd. The glory of defeating your opponent. It feels good, right?" Aldwyn strapped a satchel to his hip and secured it before approaching Naofumi.

Naofumi shrugged. "I mean, yeah, I guess it does. Why?"

Aldwyn sat down in a chair, holding his trident. "Almost every week I would hear the cries and cheers of a crowd back in Requidas. The way they chanted my name before a fight. The praise they'd give me after winning. The glory. It was intoxicating. I used to hate it. But as I kept fighting, it grew on me. And I don't know if it's healthy or not, but I enjoy fighting." Aldwyn rolled his shoulders. "...Remember how I said I fought and executed criminals?"

Naofumi nodded, now interested in the topic.

"...I've killed 27 people in my life. Six of them I killed on accident. The rest were criminals." Aldwyn looked back up. "We only started executing criminals two years before I got sold and taken here. And whenever I did kill someone, it felt...Satisfying..."

Naofumi lowered his head for a moment. "I...See..."

Aldwyn took off his helmet. "...Naofumi, I need to tel-"

"Mr. Naofumi! Aldwyn!"

Aldwyn quickly put his helmet back on and stood up.

"Mr. Naofumi! Aldwyn!" Suddenly, Raphtalia throw the door to the room open.

"You two need to come with me! Hurry! It's Filo!" Aldwyn and Naofumi then rushed out the door with Raphtalia, running to the stable.

What they saw made their jaws drop.

* * *

"Slave Trader! What is this?! What kind of egg did you sell us?!" Naofumi was in the Slavers face. Behind him stood a taller and wider Filo. She looked more like regular bird. Just much bigger.

"That was just a simple Filolial…"

"A simple Filolial?! Does that look like a Filolial to you?!" Naofumi pointed at Filo.

"Oh...I see...This must be because your a hero…" The Slaver rubbed his chin.

"What are you talking about?" Naofumi asked.

"This amount of growth in such a short time might be because you are the owner. Wild Filolials move in herds, and pick one among them to be their leader. They call them either Filolial Kings or Queens. Since this one is female, she must be a queen."

"Are you telling the truth?" Naofumi asked with an accusing eye.

"Honestly, I've never seen one. They tend to avoid humans…"

"So you don't know, then?"

"Well, I could look into it if you leave her with me…" Out of nowhere, two men in hoods flanked the Slave Trader. They seemed to work for him.

"I dunno...Alright, but if anything goes wrong, saying 'I don't know' won't cut it. I expect compensation if anything happens." Naofumi said as he crossed his arms.

"Of course. I understand completely." The two men grabbed Filo and hauled her into a cage.

"Bye Filo." Naofumi waves before turning to walk off. Aldwyn and Raphtalia looked at each other hesitantly as the three men prepared to 'look into it'.

As they were about to leave, Filo thrashed around in her cage. A bright light began to emanate from her and blinded everyone.

When the light died down, they trio saw the slaver backing up. "W...What…"

A voice came from the cell. "Ma….Master!" Instead of a large Filolial in the cage, a little girl with long blonde hair and small angel wings on her back stood in its place. Everyone in the room stared at the girl in surprise. Aldwyn's eye twitched as he saw the transformation occur.

"...WHAT THE HELL?!"

* * *

**_Slave Prince Chapter 4 everyone! What'd you guys think?_**

**_Filo has joined the party, and the group is about to deal with her in her human form. _**

**_As for Aldwyn's dream, I rather enjoyed writing that scene. It's something of a prelude to future events._**

**_Anyways, rate and review if you wish to, and don't forget to favorite and follow if you enjoyed!_**

**_Have a great day/night._**


	5. Chapter 5: Of Birds, Lions and Dragons

_**Hello again, one and all, to the Slave Prince! Sorry for any delay, I've been very busy as of late. I also started a Borderlands Marathon with a friend of mine, upon the reveal of Borderlands 3. And that works perfectly for me, since I've had ideas for a Borderlands story of my own. **_

_**But, anywho...**_

_**I hope you all are ready. I've made this chapter a bit longer by combining two of them into one, so there might be some time skips between lines. But I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. **_

_**On with the show!**_

* * *

"Hey, kid. I'm about to close, what-" Erhard stopped himself. He saw the usual three, Naofumi, Raphtalia, and Aldwyn. However, a fourth person walked in with them. A small girl with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes, covered in a cloak.

"Yeah, sorry…" Raphtalia muttered as she held the girl close, so she wouldn't escape her grasp.

"What, are you going to show off every new slave you get?" Erhard asked, raising an eyebrow and setting down the sandwich he held in his hands.

"That's not it. We need clothes. Specifically, ones that can survive the transformation of a monster to a human." Naofumi requested bluntly, crossing his arms.

Erhard scoffed. "I have some spare clothes, but nothing that would fit her. I'm not an outfitter, I'm a blacksmith. However, if you're looking for clothes to survive a transformation…" He leaned down on the counter. "There's a witch in town that used to spin those kind of clothes. I can point you to her. Maybe she'll help you out."

"Alright, thanks. We'll-" A loud grumble interupted Naofumi. The Shield Hero turned around to the source. The small girl.

"Master, I'm hungry!" The girl announced to the room. Naofumi sighed and shook his head.

"You want some of this, kid?" Erhard held up his sandwich.

"Oh, you don't have to share your dinner." Raphtalia held up her hand. However, Erhard insisted. The girl escaped Raphtalia's grasp and ran up to the counter. "Filo!"

Filo's eyes glistened at the sight of the sandwich. Suddenly, in a puff of smoke, she transformed into her Filolial form, and quickly snatched the entire sandwich from Erhard, swallowing it whole. Erhard stood there with his mouth open, surprised at what just unfolded in front of him.

"Eheh….Sorry…"

* * *

"I still can't believe we're doing this…"

"You have a way of meeting some of the most interesting people, Captain. Whether that's a good or bad thing is up for debate."

The group was traveling with the witch who told them of their magical capabilities to get a magic thread for Filo to wear. The little girl that was in the cage was Filo, and apparently, she can transform back and forth from a Filolial to a human girl.

"Yeah yeah…" Naofumi sat with his arms crossed, waiting for them to reach the place the witch was guiding them. Raphtalia hung over the side, looking sick.

Soon they came upon a large ruined building hidden away in a valley.

"The gemstones are in there, eh?" Aldwyn asked the witch, who shook her head.

"Not quite. We're close, but there's a cave nearby that should have them."

Raphtalia rose from her position. "Alright then, let's g-get going…" She put a hand to her mouth and her cheeks puffed out.

Naofumi shook his head. "You look like you're going to be sick. Rest up here, okay?"

Raphtalia nodded reluctantly and sat back down. Aldwyn stood up, but Naofumi put a hand on his shoulder. "Stay here with her and protect the carriage, okay?"

Aldwyn huffed. "Fine. But if I hear trouble in that cave, I'm going in. Can't let you have all the fun."

Naofumi shrugged. He took the witch and Filo with him to find the gemstones, out of sight from Aldwyn and Raphtalia. The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Raphtalia broke the ice.

"Aldwyn? Have you ever, I don't know, had feelings for someone before?" The question came out of nowhere, and confused Aldwyn.

"Feelings? I'm not quite sure what you mean…"

"Romantic feelings, I-I guess. Like, you really like someone and enjoy their company and all that…" Raphtalia didn't look at Aldwyn, she looked at the sky, as if trying to avoid showing her face.

"Uh, no. I can't say I have. Why?" Aldwyn crossed his arms and leaned against the wagon.

"I just...I don't have any experience in that kind of stuff. And I don't know how to go about it." Raphtalia let out a sigh and looked to the ground.

"Well, if you need romantic advice, you're talking to the wrong person. I've never been in a relationship. Don't plan to be in one either." Aldwyn said, crossing his arms. "Being someone like me, that kind of stuff just gets in the way."

"Really? I don't think that-"

"And besides, I'm a warrior who takes pride in battle and glory in killing. Who'd want to be with someone like me?"

Raphtalia pursed her lips and shook her head. "Well, I believe there's someone out there for everyone. It may take a while, but I believe there's a match for every person."

Aldwyn thought about what she said for a moment. "...I wish what you said was true. World might be a better place if more people thought like that."

"...Aldwyn, why do you enjoy killing?"

Aldwyn tensed up at the question. It wasn't an average one people would ask him.

"I don't know. At first, I took pleasure in executing criminals of the country in the ring. Made me feel patriotic. Up until the seventh kill. Toughest I ever fought. He was a serial killer, and murdered a lot of people. He was big, bigger than Erhard! He had skill. Our battle lasted roughly two hours, and when I finally removed his head from his shoulders, it was...Satisfying." Aldwyn stuck his trident into the ground. "Most people feel satisfaction after completing a project that took them a while and required hard work to finish. It felt the same way to finally defeat someone so strong and end their life; being the champion. I enjoy fights. And I enjoy finishing them even more because of that. The end of a fight makes me feel like my work is done. For the moment."

Raphtalia frowned. "I...I couldn't imagine being that way."

"I know it's not normal. But it's who I am." The two remained silent for a few minutes afterward.

"...Maybe you can change? I'm not saying that you're bad, but maybe you can change that part about you? I can help! Mr. Naofumi can too!" Raphtalia leaned over the carriage to finally look at Aldwyn.

"Maybe. But I don't think that'd be best right now. I need to have that instinct if we're going to defeat the waves of destruction." Aldwyn turned his head to her. "But maybe after that...I could give it a shot. Not sure how good it'd do me, but...I dunno."

Raphtalia wanted to speak more, however, Naofumi, Filo and the witch had returned. Aldwyn stood up straight.

"Good, you're back. Run into anything?"

"Nothing we couldn't handle." Naofumi replied. "And now, we have the gemstone."

"Good, now we can get out of here." Aldwyn hopped into the carriage, ready to go.

"Hey, Raphtalia, Maybe you should ride Filo on the way back. You'll get sick from riding in the wagon." Naofumi said to her, hooking up Filo to the wagon.

"But I want master to ride me…" Filo whined. However, Naofumi wouldn't have it, and ordered Raphtalia to ride Filo on the way back.

* * *

"Tada! What do you think!" Filo gleamed as she popped into the blacksmiths shop in her human form. Her new dress was the same color her feathers were, and it looked similar to something a nobleman's daughter would wear.

"Looks good, kid!" Erhard exclaimed with a thumbs up. "I told you the tailor I knew was good."

"Yeah! She looks like an angel. It's a nice design." Naofumi commented, smiling.

"Not bad. I would've preferred armor, but then again, I'm not a little girl." Aldwyn said, shrugging.

"Still though, the dress is nice." Raphtalia smiled sweetly as she held her hands together.

The group had decided to have dinner in the fields outside of the city walls. They all sat around a fire, as if it was a picnic.

"-and he thought outfitting his slave with the heaviest armor he could find would make him invincible."

Aldwyn was telling them a story from his days in the ring.

"What happened when you two finally fought?" Erhard asked after taking a bite out of a piece of meat.

"Right. We got into the ring, and the guy was carrying a huge battle axe. I'm in there with leather armor and a hood and mask! You'd think I'd have a hard time, but I hit him once with my shield, and as stiff as a board, fell flat on his face." Chuckles came from the group as he told the story. "A moment later, a small bit of blood popped under his face. I lifted him up and saw he had a bleeding and broken nose, and had blacked out. I won by default. Easiest victory of my career."

Erhard shook his head. "That's a prime example that the heaviest and biggest armor isn't the best armor."

"Right. Wearing stuff like that is good if you want to be an unmoving, heavy tank. Besides that…?" Naofumi shrugged.

"Hey, Aldwyn, When did you get those feathers?" Erhard pointed to the two feathers on his helmet.

"Oh, these? These are actually Filo's feathers. She lost them during the race, so I decided to use them to restore my helmet." The Gladiator responded, brushing the feathers lightly.

"Hey! Give them back!" Filo pouted and reached over to try and steal the feathers. Aldwyn simply moved it to the other side of him, out of Filo's reach.

Aldwyn turned his head to her. "You don't need them anymore." Filo puffed up her cheeks and crossed her arms, but didn't reply.

"Restore, Huh? What did it used to look like?" Erhard questioned.

"Think of it like this. These blue feathers up front, purple ones in these middle holders, and red ones in the back. Add a red ponytail plume to my helmet and restore the gazelle horn, and my helmet would like as it did two years ago."

Erhard nodded. "Hmm...I can see it. Why the plume and feathers? Why not just a regular helmet?"

"The feathers color each represented a part of the Gladiator, given by their owner. Blue represents honor. Purple represents skill. Red represents fury. Green would represent cunning, yellow would represent cowardice. Orange is strength, White is merciful, Black is merciless. I would have gained the black feathers if I hadn't been sold off before I could get them."

The group listened in at the revelation of Aldwyn's people's culture.

"A plume represents a champion, winner of a royal tourney, and is given one of three colors. Red, blue, and yellow. Red signifies the winner of a series of duels. Blue signifies the winner of a battle royale. No deaths of course, only blunt weapons are permitted. And Orange means the champion of a beast slayer tournament. Mine was red, so I was the Champion of a series of duels."

Erhard nodded, rubbing his chin. "You know...I should be able to find the proper supplies to restore than plume of yours if you want."

Aldwyn shrugged. "I wouldn't want to spend any more of Naofumi's money, or give you any trouble with it…" Erhard scoffed.

"You know what, how about we strike up a deal, eh? I've never been to Requidas, and I've never come across Weapons they've made. Only things have been symbols and texts that vaguely describe them and the kinds of inscriptions they put on their weapons. Tell me about their weapons, and I'll do it for free. How's that sound?" Erhard suggested, smiling. Aldwyn would be lying if he said he wasn't interested.

"Hmm...Alright Erhard. You got yourself a deal." The two shook hands. The blacksmith nodded and stood up, stretching.

"It's getting late. I should probably head back. Thank you guys for dinner. Next time we meet, I'll be asking about those weapons!"

"No problem! See you around!" Naofumi and the others waved to Erhard, watching as the man walked back to the city.

Aldwyn turned around to see Filo in her bird form, sleeping on the ground. "Asleep already, eh?"

"M-Mr. Naofumi…?" Aldwyn turned to see Raphtalia, who was pressing her index fingers together and blushing. He shook his head and made his way over to their wagon, sitting on the edge of it.

"Do you have someone you like back in your world?!" And there was the question. Aldwyn's hunch was right, even if it was obvious who she liked.

Aldwyn stepped into the wagon and took out his short sword, taking a whetstone and sharpening the blade.

After a few minutes, the crew got on the road again, making their way to a camping spot not too far from the town of Riyute. They set up camp, and soon after, the two girls were asleep. Naofumi was in the process of going through his Shield skills while Aldwyn tended to the fire.

"...Hey, back before we got interrupted by Filo's change, you wanted to tell me something. What was it?" Naofumi asked, the menu for his skills going away as he turned his head to the gladiator. Aldwyn looked at Naofumi.

"Oh, yeah...I uh, I wanted to tell you a story. You want to hear it?" Aldwyn asked as he poked at the fire with a stick.

"Yeah, sure, so long as it doesn't take all night."

Aldwyn nodded. "It won't…"

"In the country of Requidas, long ago, lived a family. A happy family. The Father, the leader of his people and a proud general. The Mother, a great speaker and caretaker, as well as the head of the church. The Brother of the Father, an ambitious and smart man who served as an advisor. The Daughter, a girl with a mind that would make the best of scholars look like children. And lastly, the Son, a warrior in training and next in line to the throne. They lived peacefully for years."

"Then, one day, something happened. The Brother had returned from a diplomatic mission from a far away land, and looked as if death itself had brushed his shoulder. Someone had attacked his caravan, and slaughtered all of his men. And his wife and children. The palace mourned for days. The Brother locked himself within his library, and was rarely seen outside of it. He began to recover, but he was never the same."

"One day, a year later, the Mother and the Son had visited the market with the Brother. The Brother didn't seem normal, even for recent times. He guided them down an alley, saying he had someone to meet there. He disappeared. The Mother and the Son became worried for the Brother, however, before they could act, a group of men, shrouded in shadows, jumped down from the buildings and apprehended the two. They seperated the Mother and the Son. The Son…. never saw the Mother again."

"After days of waiting in the darkness of a basement, the Son was hauled off into a cage, and his face covered by a mask he couldn't remove. His hair was shaved and a Slave Curse was placed on him. He was given to a wealthy man, and taken to the dungeons of the Colosseum. There he was given armor and weapons, forced into another cage, and told to wait for his turn…."

Aldwyn stopped talking to look at Naofumi. The Shield Hero was nodding. "I think I know where this is going…" Naofumi muttered. Aldwyn replied with a nod.

"The Son was forced into an arena. On the other side of him was a frail man who didn't want to fight. In the stands above, a crowd cheered them on. And on a balcony, stood three figures. The Father, the Brother, and the Daughter. The Father and Daughter had depressed looks about them, however, the Brother seemed emotionless. The Son wanted to speak to them, however, his owner would not have it, and the curse would harm him and prevent him from speaking. He fought the frail man out of fear of being killed. He won. For years he fought in the arena, eventually gaining the name of a demon of their religion. Aldwyn, Lord of Wrath. A demon who showed no mercy, and took the form of a large Recluse Spider. The Son had become a monster. He was later sold off to a Slave Trader based out of Melromarc. The Son sat and waited in the dark of his cell. A year went by, and nothing had changed. Until one day, the Son was found by a Hero, who bought him. The Son had newfound purpose."

Aldwyn and Naofumi sat in silence, the only sound being made was the crackling of the fire. Naofumi took in the story told by his slave, letting it sink in.

"So...if Aldwyn isn't you're real name...Then what is it?" Naofumi asked, leaning forward and resting his arms on his knees.

"...Leonhard. Leonhard Mactier. Though I wouldn't go around calling me that."

"Alright. I think I understand why." Naofumi said, resting his back against the wagon.

"Thank you."

"...Do you ever think about going back? Back to Requidas? Confronting the people who did this to you?" Naofumi asked as he finished another potion. Aldwyn shrugged.

"Sometimes. But it wouldn't work out. I can't suddenly show up and think everything will go smoothly. If I did want to go back, I'd need to be slow and careful about it, and I don't usually do slow and careful." Aldwyn explained as he took off his helmet, placing it on the ground. "The only way to even prove I'm a part of the royal family is to show them the white streak in my hair and what I can remember of my childhood. It's not guaranteed they'll believe me."

Naofumi nodded. "I see...Well, you should get some rest, Aldwyn. We're gonna be moving around a lot tomorrow, so you'll need the energy."

Aldwyn got up and made his way over to the carriage, crawling inside and resting his back against the walls. As his eyes began to close, he heard shuffling from the back of the carriage. He opened his eyes to see Filo had made her way in and had sat next to him. They sat in silence for a while. Aldwyn attempted to fall asleep, however, Filo reached for his hand and held it.

"You're story was really sad." Filo muttered. Aldwyn looked down at her with a neutral glance before sighing.

"You...Were listening?" He asked, a mixture of irritation and drowsiness in his voice.

"Yeah. I woke up when you started it." Filo leaned against Aldwyn, resting her head on his torso. He tensed up for a moment, not used to the sudden contact. "I'm really sorry that happened to you." Aldwyn began to lose the tense feeling, relaxing a bit.

"Ah...It's not your fault, kid. No need to say sorry." Aldwyn rubbed his eyes with his free hand and leaned his head back.

"The Mother sounded nice. Was she nice?" Filo asked, tilting her head up at him.

"Yes. She was. Sweetest woman in the whole world. Strict, but sweet. I just wish…" Aldwyn let his head drop as he was brought back to the day it happened.

"...I hope we get to beat up the people that hurt you some day. They sound mean." Filo said suddenly. It made Aldwyn snort, a small smile forming on his face.

"...Me too kid. Me too. Now, get some rest, okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

"Of all the things I thought could possibly kill me in this world, giant plants wasn't one of them!" Aldwyn shouted as he cut another vine attempting to attack him. "I hate this town."

"Well, this is all Motoyasu's fault, so you can blame him!" Naofumi shouted back, furious at their current situation. "No wonder this place wanted weed killer...We should have never come here."

"At least we're being paid to help clean up the place…" Raphtalia commented, sword in hand. "And stop eating the fruit, Filo. It's growing monsters!"

"But it's so good…" Filo muttered, taking another fruit and eating it whole.

Aldwyn turned a corner, keeping his sword ready. His trident wasn't the right tool for the job, so he kept it on his back. He was going to move on after seeing no monsters, but heard labored breathing nearby. He turned his head to find two feet sticking out from behind a couple of barrels. Aldwyn approached and moved a barrel, only to recoil right after. "Holy shit...Captain! Everyone! Get over here!"

"We're coming. What are you yelling about?" Naofumi asked as he stood beside his gladiator companion. When he saw what Aldwyn saw, he too recoiled. "W-What the hell?!"

In front of them was a young boy, no older than 10, who was covered with weeds and roots. Some seemed to embed themselves into his skin and grow outwards.

"This...This is like a parasite!" Naofumi grimaced, horrified by the sight. "...Hey, do you have any money?" He asked the boy. Raphtalia and Aldwyn both glared at their master, and he could feel it. He sighed. "I know, I know." He took out a bottle and uncorked it, pouring its contents over the boys skin, burning the weeds that were growing on him. He then grabbed another bottle and poured the liquid into the boys mouth. Seconds after, the boy's eyes opened, and he looked healthy again.

"That new Medicine Efficiency skill I got is really coming in handy." Naofumi said with a grin. "Stay right there kid, I'll be back for my reward." Without another comment, he turned and ushered for his companions to follow.

They made their way into a much more affected area, with weeds growing everywhere. Raphtalia took the lead, slicing away at weeds where she could. Naofumi saw something move out of the corner of his eye. Suddenly, a vine shot out at Raphtalia.

"Raphtalia!" Naofumi raises his shield up. "Air Strike Shield!" A green transparent shield appeared next to Raphtalia, protecting her from the vine as it slammed into the shield. Aldwyn rushed forward and pinned the vine down with his shield and cut the vine in half, killing it. Another vine appeared from the other side of the shield, however, Raphtalia was more than aware of it now, and cut it down before it could hit her.

"You need to be more careful." Naofumi said to her as he moved ahead. In front of them was a large flower that had weeds and vines growing from it. When the flower opened up, and eye also opened in the center of it, letting out a cloud of smoke. The smoke got blown into Raphtalia's face, and she coughed a few times. The flower was connected to a large tree that was bigger than most of the trees around.

"This must be where that seed was planted. So this is the source." Aldwyn said as he examined the plants.

"We can take 'em!" Filo exclaimed with confidence.

"This might be a good time to try out some of my magic…" Aldwyn said to Naofumi. The Shield Hero nodded. Aldwyn stepped forward. "Cover me!"

Raphtalia jumped in front of Aldwyn and quickly cut down a vine headed toward him. Naofumi put an Air Strike Shield around the Gladiator, while Filo picked off the monsters on their flank.

"Hope this works…" Aldwyn took a deep breath. "Mother Earth give me thoust strength and lend thy elements to me. First Stone Throw!" A piece of stone came from the ground next to him, shaped like a spear, and launched itself at the flowers eye. The flower closed, and a vine shot out and caught the stone spear, flinging it away.

"Damnit! Hold on, I have an idea…" Aldwyn waited a moment. Naofumi looked back at him.

"We can't do this forever! Be quick!"

Aldwyn nodded. After a few more seconds, the eye opened back up.

"Filo! Hold the flower open and close your eyes!" Aldwyn shouted. The Filolial Queen jumped and landed on a branch in next to the flower. She used her beak to grab hold of one of the pedals and pull it open, while she used a wind gust to force the other pedals to remain open. She closed her eyes right after.

"First Sand strike!" The dirt next to Aldwyn turned into fine sand and struck out in a line, splashing against the flowers eye. The orange eye turned red, and it shuddered. It shook Filo off and shook violently to try and get the sand out. "First Stone Throw!" Another spear made of stone jutted from the ground and was flung towards the eye, this time making contact as the spear stabbed it. Juices from the eye exploded from it and the flower scrunched up.

"Now to get rid of it once and for all!" Raphtalia ran towards the flower and sliced the stem of it, cutting it in half. The flower fell to the ground, still shuddering. The group of four surrounded the monster.

"Burn it." Naofumi ordered. Doing what he was told, Aldwyn brought his hand up to the plant, his hand glowing a dim orange.

"Mother Earth give me thoust strength and lend me thy elements. First Combustion." A spark lit and the flower burst into flame. It squirmed for a minute before ceasing to move, the fire burning it to death. Naofumi walked over to the tree and got his Shield close to it. It glowed for a minute before the tree began to shrink, and the vines and weeds began to recede and die.

"Well, at least we don't have to go around using all of our weed killer on the rest." Naofumi said as he turned and headed back in the direction that they left the boy in.

When they returned to the boy, he was sitting on a barrel, waiting for their return. "Is it over? The plants started to die…"

"Yeah, everything's fine now. As for my reward…" Naofumi looked back at the trees that had survived. "...I'm going to take a few crate fulls of fruit from these trees."

The boy looked at the fruit on the trees and shrugged. "Uh, okay, sure. No money or anything?"

"Nope. Fruit."

* * *

"Was it wise to leave the seed with them? Won't it grow out of control again?" Raphtalia asked as they rode in the wagon.

"My new Shield has a plant manipulation ability, so I just lowered the stats of the seed before giving it back. It should be fine." Naofumi answered.

"But you left without saying anything to them. We just took the fruit and left." Aldwyn replied. "A little recognition and praise wouldn't hurt…"

"The Shield Hero should stay out of sight, and away from a place like that." Was Naofumi's answer as he crossed his arms. After he said that, Raphtalia coughed roughly.

"Uh oh…" Aldwyn slid away from Raphtalia, in fear of getting sick.

"Your coughing really badly. Take this antidote and get some rest." Naofumi ordered as he presented Raphtalia with a vial. "I'm supposed to protect you, so don't go rushing forward like you did."

"You don't say that to Aldwyn…" Raphtalia complained.

"Yeah, but I can take much more of a beating. And besides, rushing in is how I fight." The Gladiator defended himself.

Raphtalia sighed and drank the antidote. Naofumi brought the carriage to a stop, getting out with Aldwyn and Filo.

"Filo, get to bed! You've been working the hardest here." Naofumi ordered as he sat down and brought out his medicine making supplies.

"But what about you Master? And Aldwyn?" Filo asked, tilting her head.

"I need to make medicine. And Aldwyn has watch duty." Aldwyn brought out a foldable chair and placed it next to the carriage, sitting down in it. A bright light shined and suddenly, Filo had plopped down next to Naofumi in her human form.

"Hey Master? Why did you pick me?" She asked. The Hero and the Gladiator looked at each other for a moment before they both shrugged.

"It was luck. And random chance I guess." Naofumi answered as he ground down herbs.

"Oh. So someone else would have been fine?" Filo asked, a frown forming on her face as she looked down.

"Let me say it this way. I bought an egg. And you were the one that came out of it. If it wasn't a Filolial egg, we probably wouldn't be traveling like this." Naofumi said in an attempt to make her feel better.

"If I hurt my leg and couldn't move, would you replace me?!" Filo asked frantically.

Naofumi began to smile a bit. "You'd be hard to replace…"

"Yeah, kid. You're one of a kind." Aldwyn said to Filo, who began to smile in response.

"And if you stop being so selfish and do what I say, you can stick around. I have big hopes for you." Filo's smile only grew bigger.

"Okay!"

Filo fell asleep soon after the talk. Aldwyn and Naofumi remained silent with each other as the night went on.

"Aldwyn?"

The Gladiator turned his head to find Naofumi looking up at him.

"How old are you?" The Shield Hero asked, turning his head to the fire.

"I'm 23. Why?"

"Just asking…" Silence surrounded them once again until Naofumi continued. "It's just...Raphtalia and Filo are kids. And I'm making them fight…"

"You can't fight by yourself, which is why you need us. And the three of us are more than happy to help you. So don't beat yourself up over having children fight for you, other people have done it before. I should know. Been a Gladiator since 10." Aldwyn said to him. "You've been good to us. This is the least we can do in return."

Naofumi didn't respond as he got up and made his way into the carriage, headed to bed.

The night was uneventful afterwards.

* * *

"It's such an honor to be riding with you lot." The merchant replied gleefully.

They picked up a merchant along the way to their next destination. And he seemed to be having a great time.

"To be in the same carriage as the Champion of Arcadis and the Bird God! It's amazing!"

"Bird God? Champion of Arcadis?" Raphtalia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, you don't know?" The merchant asked.

"That, and what's Arcadis?" Raphtalia asked.

"Arcadis is the Capital City of Requidas." Aldwyn answered.

"There's a rumor of a Saint that travels the land in the carriage of the Bird God, protected by a legendary Gladiator Champion. The Saint performs miracles and pretends to be a merchant." The Merchant answered.

"Miracles eh? Well, we just travel around and sell medicine." Naofumi replied.

"Oh, such humility!" The Merchant exclaimed. "And you are the one making said medicines, correct?" He then pointed to the book Naofumi had. "Is that book filled with special, secret recipes?"

"Uh, Yeah, sure…" Naofumi answered.

"Good thing he didn't notice the book is actually a Shield!" Filo shouted from the front as she pulled the carriage.

"FILO!" Raphtalia berated the Filolial.

"Sorry…"

"A taking monster! I've never seen that before! You must really be the Bird God!" The merchant smiled with what seemed to be joy.

Naofumi sighed. Suddenly, the carriage came to a stop.

"Master, there's a bunch of men with weapons blocking the road!" Filo announced from the front.

"Uh oh…" The Merchant muttered.

"What is it?" Naofumi asked in suspicion.

"Well...I have quite a few enemies, and well…"

"These guys could be them? We got it…" Aldwyn said as he got up and walked outside, approaching the group of men.

"Hey, you! Tell that merchant to come out. You hand him over, and we'll spare your lives, understand?" The leader said, holding a Glave.

Aldwyn has his Trident in hand, resting on his shoulder. "No."

"No? You sure you want to do that pal?" The leader asked with a snicker.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Aldwyn took a deep breath. "Mother Earth give me thoust strength and lend thy elements to me. First Sandstorm." Suddenly, a swirl of sand appeared beneath the bandits.

"What the hell?!" It got stronger, turning into a storm around them. Screams were heard from the inside.

"My eyes! There's sand in my eyes!"

"I can't see!"

"Get it out!"

Aldwyn chuckled. "You heard them, Filo. Why don't you help them out?"

"I'm sure Master has some water we can use to-"

"No, I mean-" Aldwyn sighed. "Use your wind gust to blow them off their feet."

"OH! Okay!" Filo used a magical attack to blow the sand away and knock the bandits over. They fell to the ground, dazed. Aldwyn smirked.

"Fools…" He made his way up to the nearest bandit and used his foot to push him onto his back. He placed the trident at his neck, and the bandit squirmed under Aldwyn's foot.

"Please! Please don't kill me!" The bandit screamed, scared for his life.

"You forfeited your right to live by threatening us." Aldwyn snarled. Placing both hands on his trident, he pushed down. The bandit pushed back with his hands on the weapon, trying to prevent the getting stabbed.

"Aldwyn! Leave them be!" The Gladiator heard Naofumi call to him from the carriage. With a groan, he pulled the trident away from the bandit and walked over to the others.

"Why? We should kill them and be done with it." Aldwyn asked in an annoyed tone.

"I have a better idea." Naofumi said. Before long, the bandits were tied up in one big circle.

"Listen! Another trader who knew this guy wanted us to rob the guy and take everything he had! It's nothing personal, I swear!" The leader cried out.

"Ah, so one of my own has betrayed me." The merchant said as he turned to Naofumi. "Normally, I would hand them over to the local guards, but I'll let you decide what to do with them." He walked away, back to the carriage.

"Hey, you're the Shield Hero, right? Pretty obvious since you only have that shield and no weapons!" The leader pointed out.

"We're just some unlucky adventurers who were attacked by the cruel Shield Hero and were treated like dirt. Is that what you'll say to the guards?" Naofumi asked blatantly.

"You guessed it. They'll take our side over yours, that's for sure!"

Naofumi scratched his chin. "Well, I guess I have now choice. I have to kill you." The bandits all gasped.

"W-What?! You can't commit murder! That's illegal!"

"Oh? Well, I can't have you ruining things for me, and besides, I'm sure you've killed plenty of people, so I'd say you had this coming." Naofumi told them emotionlessly. He turned his head to Aldwyn. "You wanted to kill them? Now is your chance."

"With pleasure…" Aldwyn grabbed his trident and approached them , preparing to skewer a few of them in one thrust. The bandits could feel the murderous glare coming from behind the helmet, alongside quiet chuckling.

"You're bluffing!"

"Oh no, I'm not. My friend here used to be a Gladiator in Requidas. He's killed before, and he'll gladly kill again." Naofumi replied.

"W-What are you going to do about the bodies, huh?! Surely you'll get caught!" The bandit leader shouted. Naofumi shrugged.

"Filo will just eat your bodies. She's an omnivore, so she'll eat anything. In one bite. Right Filo?" Naofumi smirked and turned to the Filolial Queen.

"Yeah! And I'm getting hungry! I wanna eat!" Filo's belly rumbled.

The bandits all screamed in unison. "Okay okay! We'll do anything, give you anything, just don't hurt us please!"

Before Aldwyn could go for a stab, Naofumi put up a hand to stop him.

"Give me anything, huh? I'll spare your lives at least. However…" Naofumi smirked.

* * *

"This is our loot…"

"Get moving, or do you want me to break both of your knees?" Aldwyn threatened as he pushed a bandit. The bandits had agreed to going back to their hideout and giving them all the loot they collected.

Raphtalia didn't agree with it. "Doesn't this make us just as bad as the bandits? Stealing from them?"

"I disagree." The merchant replied. "We're taking everything they have for the protection of their lives by our savior here. He's playing at this like a true merchant would, something that seems to have been lost in today's youth."

"Oh, by the way." Naofumi approached the merchant. "How are you going to repay me for the trouble you caused?"

"Ah, simple. I offer you all the knowledge and connections I possess. They are at your command."

"Knowledge and connections, Huh…?

* * *

"This is great." Naofumi said as he finished appraising another gemstone. The knowledge and connections that the merchant had been very useful. Naofumi picked up some new tricks, and they had a reliable source of information. They even learned the whereabouts of the other hero's.

"We're coming up on the village." Aldwyn announced from the driver seat. They were on approach to a town that had been suffering from a wave of sickness, and were planning on selling their medicines and antidotes. People said that the Sword Hero went up on the mountain and slew a dragon, leaving the body there to decompose and rot. There were people who went up there to look for materials, and they were the first victims of the sickness.

As they stepped outside, they saw that the people weren't the only ones being affected. The plants and animals seemed to be dying as well.

"Damn it Ren. You need to finish what you start…" Naofumi muttered.

"Ren? He's the Sword Hero, right?" Aldwyn asked. He never inquired about the other Hero's aside from Motoyasu.

"Yeah. That's him." Naofumi answered as they entered the village. The four began to sell and distribute the medicine to the sick townsfolk. However, normal medicine wouldn't cut it.

"Excuse me, sir?" Aldwyn heard from behind him as he finished giving a vial of medicine to a young man. He turned to see a woman and her child, who seemed to be sick. "You must help my son, please."

"If you pay for some medicine, then it can-"

"We don't have any money to pay with. We spent everything trying different remedies." The woman pleaded.

"Then...I'm afraid I can't help you." Aldwyn answered. He wanted to give the medicine to her, but he was on orders to accept payment for it.

"Well, can I give you something in exchange?" The woman asked desperately.

"I don't know…"

"There's this fancy looking shield I found! And note said it was from Requidas! I can give it to you in exchange for some medicine, please!"

"Requidas…?" Aldwyn muttered. "...Show me." Aldwyn followed the woman to her house, where she came out with a shield. It was only slightly bigger than his current buckler, but this one was made of entirely bronze metal. It had the design of a spider on the front of it, engraved into the shield, and in the center was a sapphire in the center.

"Where did you get this?" Aldwyn asked.

"There was a knock on my door back when the plague first hit. The Shield was on the doorstep, and no one was there. A note said I would know when I would need it, and I need it so I can get some medicine. So please..." The woman explained. Aldwyn stared at the buckler before putting four vials of medicine in her hand.

"Thank you." Without another word, Aldwyn walked away from the house and back to the center to the village, where he saw Naofumi. Starting to pack up in the carriage.

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing more we can do." The Shield Hero explained to who seemed to be the Governor.

"There has to be something you can do…By the time a Hero arrives here, we might all be dead!" The governor pleaded. The villagers who could stand crowded around him. "Please Holy Saint, help us!"

Naofumi sighed. Aldwyn pushes his way past the villagers and brought Naofumi to the front of the carriage.

"Captain. Take a look at this." Aldwyn showed him the buckler he got from the woman.

"A Shield?" Naofumi asked.

"Not just any Shield! It's the Recluse Buckler! My buckler!" Aldwyn presented it to Naofumi. "No one else knows what this is besides three people. My first master, the person who made it, and the Warden of the Colosseum. And for some reason, it's here."

"What are you trying to say?" Naofumi asked, crossing his arms.

"I'm saying someone must have brought it here on purpose. Why would MY shield from the Colosseum be here in some town in Melromarc?"

"I don't know. Coincidence?" Naofumi shrugged.

"You know it's not. Someone knows who I am. Someone is following us." Aldwyn muttered. "And they left this here knowing we would find it."

"Well, we don't have time to deal with a stalker now. Those villagers want us to deal with the dragon corpse." Naofumi made his way back to the crowd to tell them he'd help for payment.

Aldwyn looked down at the buckler, the multiple scratches it had not taking away from its shine and wonder.

"Shit…"

* * *

The carriage came to a stop. Naofumi, Raphtalia and Aldwyn exited it and looked ahead of them. The dragon they were looking for was there, decaying and rotting. The three had to wear masks to not get sick from the dead beast.

"Well, there it is. Now, how do we get rid of it?" Naofumi asked as he looked the dead dragon over.

"It looks yummy. Can I eat it?" Filo asked, pointing her wing to it.

"Are you nuts? It's decaying and rotten. You'll get sick." Naofumi replied.

"Well, we could always bury it, but the shield could absorb it all. But we'd need to cut it up, since it's far too big for it to absorb all at once." The companions nodded, both unsheathing their swords. "Filo, you get rid of the monsters swarming the corpse."

"Okay!" Filo responded. As they made their approach, the monsters buzzing around the body started to fly away.

"What the…" Aldwyn muttered as he squinted at the corpse. "Hold on, did it just move?"

Suddenly, the corpse threw its head up and let out a loud roar. It wasn't dead.

"The Dragon is a zombie!" Naofumi shouted. They all stepped back as Naofumi put up his shield.

"Mr. Naofumi, it didn't have claws or fangs before! Their growing back!" Raphtalia pointed out.

"This is disgusting…" Aldwyn muttered and prepared his sword, his Recluse Buckler in hand.

"No! We can't take it! If this is like a game, then the Zombie form must be stronger than its original form! We need to get out of here!" Naofumi ordered.

"We can take it! Don't back down now!" Aldwyn replied, feeling adrenaline start to pump through him. He's fought many beasts, but not a dragon of this size. And he wanted to be the one to put it down once and for all.

"That's an order!" Naofumi shouted. The Gladiator felt his slave curse start to burn. He clutched his chest and took a step back, hissing.

"Argh...Fine." Aldwyn gave in and began to run away from the dragon with the others. However, that would only cause them to come to a dead end, backed against a wall, with the carriage too far away to run to. The dragon caught up quick, swinging its tail around and slapping her with it.

"Filo!" Raphtalia cried out as the Filolial hit the ground hard. However, she was quick to get up, and with an angry expression.

"Grrr, I hate you!" She shouted at the undead dragon. She jumped up and launched herself at the dragon.

"Filo, no!" Naofumi extended his hand to stop her, but it was too late. "Listen to what I say!" Filo's slave curse burned her, and he recoiled from it, becoming unfocused. The dragon took the chance and bit down on Filo, swallowing her whole. As it bit down, red liquid exploded from its mouth. Blood.

"Filo!" Aldwyn and Raphtalia shouted in unison. Naofumi's eyes were wide with shock before he too screamed her name.

"**FILO! NO!**" That's when Naofumi ceased to function, as if he just broke down and would move.

"Naofumi! Naofumi!" Raphtalia panicked and began to shake him. Aldwyn looked between them and the dragon before stepping between them. This was his chance to fight.

"Come on then! You're mine!" Aldwyn sheathed his sword and pulled his trident from his back, sprinting towards the dragon. The dragon swiped right with its tail. Aldwyn ducked under it and kept running. It's clawed hand came down to stomp him, but he rolled out of the way and shoved the trident into its leg. The dragon lifted it's leg and brought Aldwyn to its face. It let out another loud roar, however, Aldwyn ripped the trident out of its leg and shoved it into its mouth, preventing it from closing it.

Aldwyn jumped into its mouth and unsheathed his sword. He began to stab the upper part of its mouth over and over, hoping to get its brain, if it still had one.

However, the dragon wasn't dumb and opened it's mouth to let the trident fall out. The Zombie spit out bile from its belly, small chunks flesh, feathers and what seemed to be small red gemstones spilled out onto Aldwyn.

"Disgusting! It got in my mouth!" It tilted it's head down to do it, and so it caused Aldwyn to stumble back and fall to the ground. He groaned a bit, getting on his knees. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a clawed hand coming at him from the left. He was able to raise his buckler in time, however, it hit him, sending him into the rocky wall next to them. The impact made a dent in it, and Aldwyn fell once more to the ground, and didn't get up this time. He was able to move his head a bit, seeing Naofumi get up. However, the Gladiator blacked out the moment after.

"Aldwyn!" Raphtalia screamed. Naofumi moved in front of Raphtalia, a his face contorting into one of nefarious glee. The shield he had was like none Raphtalia had ever seen. Then, he raised it.

"Self Curse Burning!" The battlefield grew smokey as the dragon burst into flames, the flesh burning off the bones. The Shield Hero heard voices in his head, talking to him as his sickening grin grew. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw Raphtalia, injured from the flames, fall to the ground. "Raphtalia!"

The Shield Hero was alone now.

* * *

_**Cliffhangers! **_

_**Sorry for the cliffhanger, but it was too tempting. **_

_**So, Aldwyn spilled the beans to Naofumi, and now both he and Filo know about his past. How will it affect the story? What will happen to our precious Gladiator? And how long will it be until I post the next chapter? Who knows...**_

_**Anyways, if you liked it, feel free to follow and favorite, and don't be afraid to give a review. See you next time!**_


	6. Chapter 6: Four Becomes Five

_**How's it going guys. Back at it again with another chapter. Sorry for the delay, I've been busy. The store I work at picked up in activity, and I also went to go see Endgame the other day. **_

_**Endgame is amazing by the way, I highly suggest watching it if your into superheros and stuff.**_

_**Anyways, on with the show!**_

* * *

"Wake up Raphtalia! Please!" Naofumi held onto his companion in panic and regret. "First heal! First heal! First heal! Please, just wake up, god damnit!"

Raphtalia's eyes opened slightly as she looked up at Naofumi. "M...Mr….Naofumi...Y-You're Okay…" Her breathing was rugged, and she lifted her hand weakly. "I'm g-glad you came back…"

"Why didn't you run?! Why did you stay with me?! I could have killed you or worse!" Naofumi shouted at her, tears forming in his eyes.

"I was...scared…"

Before Naofumi could reply, a roar erupted from behind him. The dragon was still alive. It grabbed both Naofumi and Raphtalia with its clawed hands, lifting them up to its face. The Shield Hero felt hatred overcome him again.

'_The world hates me...Everyone hates me. No! I can't lose control again! If I do, Raphtalia...She won't survive!' _Naofumi struggled against the grip of the dragon. "I can't lose her too!"

Naofumi saw Filo her eaten alive. Aldwyn was thrown against the wall, there's no way he could have survived that. And now Raphtalia is in danger too.

"No...Get over yourself...The rage and anger...IS MINE!" Naofumi used the shield he had and used the flames to burn the dragons hand, melting the skin and making it drop them. Using its other hand, the dragon went to crush the two of them, but Naofumi held his shield up, taking the blow and lighting the other hand on fire.

"These flames aren't enough…" Naofumi said to himself as he dropped to the ground with Raphtalia. He raised his shield again and prepared another flame attack, however, before he could, the dragons torso began to stretch and contort. It bellowed out in pain before it's body exploded.

"Hmm, doesn't really taste that good…"

Naofumi's eyes went wide. There, in what was left of the carcass of the dragon, was Filo, spitting a piece of its flesh out of her mouth.

"Ha! Finally got out of there!" Filo said, seeming to be perfectly fine.

"Filo!" Naofumi shouted. He couldn't believe it. She was alive! And okay!

"Yeah! I threw up some of those fruits I had for lunch." That explained what looked like blood. "It didn't hurt one bit!" Naofumi let out a short breath of relief before turning back to Raphtalia. "Master! Hey, Master!"

"Shut up. Raphtalia is hurt." He looked down at his companion, trying to heal her the best he could. The raccoon Demi-Human pushed herself up.

"I'm fine to make it back to the carriage, thanks to your healing." She muttered to him. "You better focus on getting Aldwyn, then cleaning up that dragon…" Meanwhile, Filo looked On from afar.

"Oh...Wait, where is Aldwyn?" Filo asked. She looked around until she found the person in question, lying face down on the ground. "Aldwyn! Get up!" Filo walked over to him and poked at him. "Aldwyn?"

That was when Filo noticed it. Red liquid, pooling underneath the Gladiator.

"Oh, did you throw up too?" The Filolial asked as he used her foot to turn Aldwyn over. Her question was answered when she saw a gash across the Gladiators stomach; blood pouring out of it. "Uh oh! Master!"

"I'm busy, Filo!" Naofumi replied, letting out a sigh.

"Master! Aldwyn is hurt, bad!" Aldwyn! He almost forgot. Naofumi got up and rushed to Aldwyn to see the large gash.

"Oh shit!" Naofumi cursed as he sat at Aldwyn's side. He began doing the same thing he did with Raphtalia.

"First heal! First heal! Please, hang in there, Aldwyn! Aldwyn!" Naofumi shouted the Gladiator's name to no avail. The wound was heading, but he wasn't waking up. "Aldwyn! Aldwyn!..."

'_No! NO! I'm not losing anyone! I almost lost Raphtalia, I'm not losing you!' _He threw Aldwyn's helmet aside and shook the man. "Aldwyn! Come on!...Leonhard! Wake up Leonhard! Don't leave you're story here! You've got so much more to do! Don't leave it here! Please do-" A hand gripped Naofumi's arm.

"I...Told you...Not to say it…" Aldwyn muttered, his eyes still closed. Naofumi kept applying the healing spells.

"Don't worry, Le- Aldwyn. You'll be okay…" Naofumi looked over the Gladiator. The gash had been healed all it could, being smaller now, however, it was still open and bleeding. "I don't have a sewing kit to close this…" He muttered to himself. Just as he was going to pick him up to get them out of there, an arrow flew past him and stuck itself to the ground. Attached to it was thin thread and a small needle. Naofumi turned to where it was shot, finding a hooded figure holding a gilded, golden bow atop the mountain at a higher point. They seemed to stare at each other before the figure walked away.

"Hey!" Naofumi shouted, but the figure still walked off. Sighing, he turned his attention back to Aldwyn, grabbing the thread and needle, working to sew the wound. Once it was done, Naofumi and Filo lifted the Requidan over to the carriage. "You'll be okay, Aldwyn. Rest up."

"Okay...Filo! You know the drill! Let's get this corpse out of here!"

"Time to dig in!"

"What?! No!"

* * *

"This is a curse. But it's very powerful. Did the dragon do this?" The village governor asked as he examined Raphtalia's burns.

"Well, I-"

"Yes. I accidentally let it hit me with it's rotten flesh." Raphtalia said, covering for Naofumi.

"The best way to remove a curse is with holy power.." The governor said as he made his way over to a bowl of water.

"What's that?" Naofumi asked.

"Holy water."

"That will heal the curse?!" Naofumi asked, hoping to hear yes.

"No." His hopes were dashed. "This is a very simple item. It will take much time to heal. But there is more powerful holy water. A city with a large church should have some of the best out. there." As the governor applied the water, Raphtalia's skin began to sizzle.

"It stings!" Raphtalia whined. Naofumi sighed and looked over to Filo in her human form, curling up in her spot, cringing at the sight of the sizzling flesh.

Aldwyn was in the bed next to her, unconscious. The blasted man wanted to take the glory of killing the dragon. His list for a fight made him get hurt. He could have died.

As the governor left, Filo and Naofumi went to speak to Raphtalia.

"I'm sorry, it was my fault…" Naofumi said, feeling guilty about the whole thing. "I froze up and let Aldwyn rush in and get hurt. Then I got out of control and hurt you. I was reckless."

"It's not your fault, Mr. Naofumi." Raphtalia replies. "Courage and recklessness aren't the same thing. Aldwyn was reckless, running in like that, but you…"

"But caution and cowardice aren't the same thing either." Naofumi replied. The group remained silent after that, simply resting. Rustling was heard in the bed next to Raphtalia.

"Wait, how did it die?"Aldwyn was sitting up, holding onto his wound. "And ho-AH!" Aldwyn clutched the wound, hissing in pain. Naofumi walked over and laid him down.

"Just rest, Aldwyn. Please."

"Wait, how did it die?" Raphtalia followed up. The three turned to Filo, who simply blinked.

"Well, I think when I chomped on it's insides, I bit something important. I was eating it, but it wasn't very good." Filo reaches into her pocket and pulled out a red crystal. "This was in the dragons chest."

"Could that have animated the dragon?" Raphtalia asked as she looked at it.

"Why do you have to…" Naofumi shook his head, but lifted it up, smiling. "What a pig." He started to laugh.

"Woah! Master is laughing!" Filo said in surprise.

"How wonderful!" Raphtalia exclaimed. Aldwyn looked on with a smile on his face, keeping quiet.

"I like master however he is, but I like him like this!" Filo said gleefully.

"Yeah! You've been brooding ever since we got back. It's good to see you happy like this." Raphtalia smiled at Naofumi. The Shield Hero couldn't help but smile more.

"Even I know it's good to smile every once and again, so it's nice to see you happy." Aldwyn commented, a smile of his own forming.

"Mr. Naofumi." Raphtalia caught his attention. "I know you care about us a lot...And we care about you. So let's keep going. Together."

Naofumi nodded. "Yeah. Okay."

* * *

Naofumi watched as Raphtalia cut down another monster. They were easy to slay, since they drew their power from the dragon, and were now weaker. Aldwyn stood by the Shield Hero, simply onlooking since Naofumi prevented him from fighting until his wound would be assured not to reopen.

"The villagers sure seem thankful. We should be able to leave soon, right?" Aldwyn asked, watching Filo crush another monster.

"Yeah. The monsters should retreat into the mountains soon."

"Hey, Captain, I've been meaning to talk to you about that figure you saw on the mountain after the fight." Aldwyn said as he held the Recluse Buckler in both hands.

"Yeah. I didn't get a good look. They looked feminine, from the hands. They had a fancy bow too." Naofumi said, recalling the events.

"They had exactly what we needed at the time. It was probably the person who left my Buckler with that woman who gave it to me." Aldwyn said. "They're stalking us, but why make their presence much more known?"

"I don't know, but I hope this doesn't bring any problems up in the future." Naofumi replies, looking down at his companions shield.

"You and me both."

Naofumi nodded. "Hey, Filo! Raphtalia! Let's make one more round around the village then call it a day!"

"Okay!"

The four walked around the village, on the lookout for any approaching monsters that could attack. The forest around them seemed much better, since plants were starting to grow back at a fast rate. As they made their way to a passing, they saw a group of Filolial's huddled in a circle, surrounding something.

"Look at those!" Filo pointed her wing towards the group. The Filolials ranged in size and color, and their heads were tilted down.

"Those are Filolials. Just like you." Naofumi stated. Maybe it would be a perfect time for Filo to socialize with her own kind.

"Want me to take 'em out!" Filo seemed pumped up for a fight. Naofumi facepalmed and groaned.

"Aren't you listening to me?! They-"

"Are you a Filolial?"

The group turned their heads to the flock, who seemed to make way for something. Or someone. A girl, not much taller than Filo in her human form, made her approach to them.

"You talking to me?" Filo asked the girl. When she got closer, they saw the girl had long blackish-purple hair in two tails. She had purple eyes and a fancy looking dress with two bows in her hair.

"Oh. My. Goodness. A talking Filolial!" The girl squealed. "This is like a dream!" She started getting closer. Aldwyn instinctively grabbed hold of his sword.

"Uhhh…Filo?" The Gladiator looked at Naofumi curiously, who held his hand up, telling him to hold off for now.

"Filo? Is that your name? Filo?" The girl asked as she clasped her hands together.

"Sure is!" Filo said with a hint of pride.

"My name is Mel! Let's be friends!" The girl, Mel, seemed very giddy. The Filolials behind her cawed and made their way out into the field away from them.

"What were you doing with those Filolials?" Naofumi asked, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms.

"Those kids were very kind to me." Mel muttered, making them confused. "Oh! Filo! Want some jerky?" Mel asked as he reached into a satchel and pulled out a large piece of jerky.

"Yes! Thanks!" Filo chomped down on the jerky hungrily.

"I guess she knows a lot about Filolials…" Naofumi said with a shrug.

"She looks like she's from a wealthy family." Aldwyn commented. "Look at the fancy clothes she's wearing. No commoner could afford something like that."

Naofumi rubbed his chin, ideas forming in his head. He could exploit this.

"Filo! Why don't you play with that girl for a bit!" Naofumi said with a grin.

"Really?!" Filo asked excitedly.

"Yeah, just be back before dark." Naofumi said with his approval. The Filolial and girl squealed and ran off to play.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Raphtalia asked, watching them run off.

"She's probably the daughter of a wealthy merchant or some kind of noble. She must have a ton of money. Just the kind of girl you want owing you a favor." Naofumi said with a smirk.

"It's just like you to think that way." Raphtalia sighed and shook her head.

"Well, it's smart thinking." Aldwyn replied with a shrug.

"Hopefully we can get something good from this."

* * *

"What does this star mean?" Naofumi asked as he looked at his companions levels on the menu in front of him. Next to their levels, asides from Naofumi's, had a Star next to them. All of them besides Naofumi were level 40. The Shield Hero was two levels below.

"Not sure…" Raphtalia said. Naofumi thought about what it could mean. Suddenly, Filo burst into the room in her human form, waving her arms.

"Master, I'm back! I've made a friend!" Filo began jumping around. "She's been traveling around like us! She also told me legends about Filolials!"

"Oh? That's nice." Naofumi replies half heartedly as he tried to find out what the stars meant in the help menu.

"She said when she was playing with the Filolial's, she got lost from her group and is kind of lost!" Filo shared.

"Lost huh?" Aldwyn sat back in his chair while he was cleaning his helmet.

"Hmm…" Naofumi didn't seem to be paying attention. He wanted to find out what the Stars meant, and had his attention solely focused on that.

"Um, Mr. Naofumi…" Raphtalia tapped his shoulder.

"Excuse me." Naofumi looked up and saw Mel in the doorway. "Sorry to bother you at this hour. Is there any way I can convince you to let me come with you? Even for a little while?"

"Wait Wait Wait!" Naofumi let Filo's ranting catch up to him. "You were separated?"

"I realize it's a lot to ask, but I heard you were heading to Melromarc City. If you could bring me with you to the gates…" Mel seemed to have a completely different demeanor here than what she had earlier.

"What's this all about? Are you related to a landowner in the city or something?" Naofumi asked.

Mel paused for a moment. "...Yes. I was headed home when I was separated from my guards."

"Guards?" Aldwyn asked, sitting up and taking his helmet off his head.

"Master! Please please please!" Filo started to bounce again.

"I agree! We should take her with us!" Raphtalia said, speaking up. Naofumi turned his head to Aldwyn, who simply shrugged.

"We're going there anyways, right?" Raphtalia said. She was right. It wasn't out of their way, so it wouldn't be too much of a hassle. That, and maybe he could extort her in some way.

Naofumi sighed. "I'll expect payment when we get there."

"Sure! My dad will pay you!" Mel said gleefully.

"Get some rest then. We're leaving tomorrow." Naofumi said to her. Mel

* * *

_**Don't forget to rate and review if you feel like. If you enjoyed, drop a follow. See you guys in the next chapter. **_


	7. Chapter 7: Politics Suck

_**I'm back! I apologize for that hiatus, I was very busy during the month of May. The store I work at went through new management and policy changes so we were very busy for that period of time, but now things are going back to normal. **_

_**I haven't kept up with the anime of Shield Hero, so I need to watch it. However, I will still stick to the manga for following the story. **_

_**Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to rate and review if you can.**_

* * *

Aldwyn kept his head low as he scowled, keeping his eyes on the road and away from the girl besides him. Mel had moved up next to him while he was guiding the way for Filo and began to talk with the Filolial Queen. Their constant talking made him slightly irritated, but he decided against doing anything about it. She would be off when they reached their destination, as Naofumi said to him, and chose to deal with it for the time being.

The Gladiator let out an annoyed sigh, causing the guest to stop talking and turn her head over to him.

"Is something wrong, Sir?" Mel asked, tilting her head. He looked down at her and rolled his eyes, shrugging.

"No. Nothings wrong. Just uh...Tired, is all." He answered. There was a brief silence up front, making Aldwyn believe the constant talk was over. However, that wasn't the case.

"I apologize if you feel left out of the conversation. I'm sorry." Mel bowed her head slightly. "It also seems I don't know you're name."

"No, you don't." Aldwyn replied, turning his attention back towards the road.

"If it isn't too much, might I ask for you're name, sir?" Mel pushed. She was persistent, he gave her that much.

"Aldwyn."

"Do you have a last name?" Mel asked another question. Aldwyn shook his head and sighed again.

"Not anymore." He said assertively. Mel frowned, turning back to the road in front of them. It wasn't long before Mel and Filo began to talk again. Raphtalia swapped places with Aldwyn not long after, allowing him a short nap.

Soon after, the sun began to set, and the group had stopped to set up camp. Aldwyn set up a fire and tended to it while Naofumi set up dinner. Filo and Mel had gone off to play, and Raphtalia just finished setting up the rest of the camp before heading over to the fire and sitting down next to Aldwyn.

"Aldwyn, you seemed to be having a hard time driving up there. Are you alright?" Raphtalia asked, dusting herself off.

"I'm fine. Those two are just annoying." Aldwyn turned his head towards the two children. "That, and I'm still a bit concerned about why this buckler was in that house, and who that person with the bow was. It all seems a bit too coincidental."

"That is a little suspicious…" Raphtalia nodded in agreeance with him. Naofumi had just then came up to them, holding a tray of food.

"Dinners ready!" Naofumi sat down by the fire and got himself some food, and the other's followed. The five of them sat around the campfire, enjoying their meals. Naofumi and Raphtalia spoke among themselves, as did Filo and Mel, leaving Aldwyn to eat his food in peace. Just as he took his helmet off however…

Mel looked up to Aldwyn. When she did, she let out a gasp and stared at him. This prompted everyone to look at her.

"...What?" Aldwyn asked after swallowing a bite of meat.

"Y-You're hair! Part of its white! That means-" Aldwyn covered the girls mouth. This made everyone besides Naofumi confused.

"Excuse us…" Aldwyn muttered before dragging Mel into the tree line and uncovering her mouth.

"You're Requidan Royalty!" Mel finished.

"Can you keep quiet!?" Aldwyn whispered, putting a finger in her face.

"Why? It's not like-"

"Just please keep quiet about it. Please." Aldwyn said to her.

"Fine. But who are you? I've met the royalty of Requidas before, and they all have that white streak in their hair. A trait passed down generations from what they told me." Mel asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Aldwyn sighed, shaking his head. "My name is Leonhard Mactier. The lost son of Maxim Mactier." Mel's eyes went wide.

"Oh my goodness, I found the son of Archon Maxim! I can't believe it!" Mel paced around. "Do you know what this means?! You can go back, you can help change things! We can-"

"Change things? What do you mean?" Aldwyn asked, his eyes squinting.

"W-Well, the country kind...Went downhill after you and your mother disappeared. The Archon went into a Great Depression, and his negligence of taking care of his country lead to his brother, Diem, taking up the mantle as Archon. He's been imposing totalitarian laws and turning the place into a dystopia for the people who live there." Mel explained. Aldwyn paused and looked away.

"How…?" He let out a snarl. "God damn it!" He turned back to Mel. "I can't go back. Not yet. I have to figure out who the people that kidnapped me were and where my mother is."

"She's alive?!"

"Quiet!"

"Oh, sorry." Mel apologized. "That means you and her can go there, and one of you can be made Archon, returning Requidas to its former glory."

"And you think I'll just be able to walk into the palace and take the throne? No! The people who kidnapped me and killed my Uncle's wife and children have a hold on him and are the true ones in power." Aldwyn explained. It was easy to connect the dots. "I'll just get assassinated the moment I get there and announce who I am! If I'm going to do any of that, I need my mother and Naofumi's help. Besides, I'm his slave, so I can't just run off and start a coup."

"Wait, you're a slave?" Mel asked. Aldwyn lifted his chest plate armor and revealed the curse marking.

"Yeah. But it's something I've grown to accept, being one since 10. Besides, I'd rather stay with those guys right now." Aldwyn said to her, putting the armor back.

"I see...So you're a Slave Prince."

"Slave Prince?"

"Yeah. Your a Prince, and your a slave. Slave Prince." Mel said with a quirky smile.

"Uh...Yeah, sure, okay. Whatever. Just don't go around telling everyone this. Only Naofumi knows." Aldwyn put a finger to his lips. Mel mimicked him, meaning she understood. They both returned to the camp, dodging any questions that the other two slaves asked.

Once everyone ate, they started to prepare for bed. When Aldwyn, Naofumi and Raphtalia set up their spots, they looked around, not finding Mel anywhere, and Filo in her bird form, sleeping soundly.

"Um, where did Mel go?" Raphtalia asked, looking around. The three saw Mel's clothes scattered around the sleeping Filolial.

"She wouldn't." The three said in unison. "Filo!" Filo opened her eyes groggily.

"Huh…?" She let out a tired yawn and stretched her wings. She then let out a small burp.

"Almighty Carthus…" Aldwyn put his hands over his face and groaned. "I can't...Why would, oh, euhh." He grit his teeth in disgust. "I've seen some messed up shit, but eating another person…"

Naofumi rushes up to her. "Where's Mel?! I know you can be a pig sometimes but…Don't tell me you actually...Maybe we can cover this up."

"Mr. Naofumi!" Raphtalia wen to scold her master.

"It wouldn't be too hard. I can grab a spare weapon from the carriage, and rip up her clothes to make it look like a bandit attack. The fruits we have have red juice we could use as blood…" Aldwyn rubbed his chin in thought.

"ALDWYN!" Raphtalia punched the Gladiator on the shoulder, who groaned in response and rubbing the spot he was hit in.

"It's so…" They heard rustling coming from Filo. Then, suddenly out popped Mel from Filo's feathers, her hair down. "You're so noisy…" Raphtalia, Naofumi and Aldwyn all had deadpanned looks as they stared at Mel. "Hmm…?"

"Wh...Wh...What are you doing?!" Naofumi shouted at her. "H-How did you even get in there?!" Raphtalia approached Filo and shoved her hand into Filo's feathers, her whole arm sinking in. Naofumi's jaw hung open and Aldwyn's eye twitched.

"Wow, you can reach really deep." Raphtalia said. "And it's so warm…"

"Raphtalia!" Naofumi shouted.

"So, let me get this straight, and tell me if I'm right. It got too hot, so you took your clothes off in there?" Naofumi asked, with Aldwyn returning to a deadpan.

"Yeah! It's so warm and fluffy! It feels great!" Mel exclaimed.

"I worry too much…" Naofumi muttered.

"I'm going to bed." Aldwyn said plainly.

* * *

"Thank you for all of your help." Mel bowed to them. "I really appreciate it."

It wasn't a long ride back to the city after the night before, and there wasn't any trouble along the way. They stood at the city gates, with people going by them.

"No problem!" Raphtalia replied, smiling and doing her own bow.

"Filo, take her home and make sure to get payment." Naofumi ordered.

"Okay!" Filo ran off with Mel, who thanked them again.

"Well, what do we do first?" Naofumi asked. They remained silent.

"...Blacksmith?"

"Blacksmith."

* * *

"Thanks for your business! You also want to upgrade that Barbarian Armor? Two days should be enough time before you come to pick it back up." Erhard offered. They had bought Raphtalia some new equipment, and Aldwyn got an upgraded short sword and chest plate, alongside a red plume ponytail that went down the back of his helmet.

"Mr, Naofumi, are you sure you want to spend this much money on my equipment?" Raphtalia asked as she looked down at her new armor.

"I'd rather spend more to get you guys the best stuff." Naofumi said.

"Don't forget kid, it'll cost her a bit to heal her up too." Erhard reminded the Shield Hero. "You're off to get holy water next, right?"

"Sure am." Naofumi replied. "Also, I hope you don't mind if I leave my carriage here." Before they left, Naofumi stopped and turned. "And also, do you know what a Star next to someone's level means? It's next to ours…"

"Oh, that's means your ready for a class-up!"

"Class up?" The trio asked.

"It means breaking through the level cap to keep growing. The country has to approve you for a Class-Up." Erhard answered. "They do it at the Dragon Hourglass."

"I see." Naofumi muttered. "So if we don't Class-Up…"

"Then you can't level up any further." Erhard finished for him.

Naofumi nodded. "We'll talk about it when Filo gets back. Thanks again Erhard."

"No problem, kid! Come back any time! Oh, before I forget. Aldwyn, you got those schematics for me?" Erhard held out a hand. The Gladiator pulled several rolls of paper from a satchel and handed them to Erhard.

"Requidan weapon designs, as promised." The two shook hands before the group finally left.

* * *

"The Shield Hero…"

"The Shield Hero is here?"

The attendees of the church muttered to themselves as they walked past them.

"What's the matter? Don't you want me around?" Naofumi asked, messing with the hands.

"And what business do you have with our church today?" A voice came from down the main hall. Ahead of them stood a man who worse elegant robes and glasses.

"The High Priest…" Aldwyn muttered.

"I've come to ask for some holy water." Naofumi said to him.

"Then we will require a donation." The Head Priest replied.

"Okay, how much?" Naofumi asked. "We need the most powerful holy water you have to heal my friends curse."

"That will be one gold piece." The High Priest responded.

"A gold piece? God damn…" Aldwyn said as he crossed his arms.

"Fine."

A priestess brought over a tray with a vial of holy water sitting in the middle of it. Naofumi examined it, and noticed something.

"You know, I actually have quite a few skills now. And that does not look like holy water worth a gold piece." Naofumi crosses his arms and sent a look of suspicion at the two priests.

"Why did you bring a bad vial?" The High Priest asked. The Priestess began to stumble with her words. "God is merciful. If you've acted this way to appease to your own sense of justice, then you must repent immediately." The Priestess looked to be in a panic as he spoke to her and she started to sweat. He then turned back to the trio. "I apologize for her behavior."

"As long as I get what I came for." Naofumi replied.

"I appreciate your understanding. This should be what you seek." The High Priest pulled out an elegant vial of holy water. The real deal. "Give thanks for the Lord's guidance. All is due to his mercy."

As they walked out of the church, Naofumi sighed. "They always have to act like I'm a criminal and that I owe them something." He grit his teeth.

Aldwyn shook his head. "I like churches in Requidas better."

"Why's that?" Raphtalia asked.

"Well, for one, not everyone inside acts like a pompous asshole. That and they follow my own religion, but that's not to the fault of this church." Aldwyn replied.

"What religion do you follow?" Raphtalia hadn't heard of other religions before now.

"Carthism. It's a religion following God and his chosen Prophet and Son, Carthus. Carthus first established the capital of Requidas, and gathered warriors from across the land to form Requidas' first military. He later created the Templar Order."

"Templar's, eh?" Naofumi raised an eyebrow. Just like in his world. Kind of. "You clearly care a lot about it then…" Noafumi raised an eyebrow at the mention of a Templar Order. "Templar Order, I-"

"Wait." Aldwyn heard the heavy thumping of footsteps and looked to his left. He saw a city guard running towards them. "Uh, guys! There's a guard running to us!" He announced. Just as he did, the guard pointed at them.

"It's the Shield Hero!" This causes them to go into a panic.

"Soldiers! Run!" Before listening to anything the soldier had to say, the three booked it away from them.

"Why are they chasing us?! We haven't done anything!" Raphtalia shouted to them as they ran.

"Who knows, but I'm not going to be put in another damn cell! I'd rather die!" Aldwyn replied as they followed Naofumi.

"I know, we've never done anything wrong!" Naofumi shouted to the two as they ran their way through the city streets. "Okay, split up! Raphtalia, find Filo and bring her to the shop! Aldwyn, come with me in case things get drastic!" The two slaves nodded. When a fork in the road came, Raphtalia broke left, while Aldwyn and Naofumi broke right.

The two ran down an ally and finally came to a stop, breathing heavily. "Did we lose them…?" Naofumi asked.

"God I hope so…" Aldwyn muttered as he had both hands on his knees.

"I found you!"

"Oh come on!"

Motoyasu shoved his way past some people and over to Naofumi and Aldwyn. He pulled out his spear and began to ran at them, diving for them. They both dodged out of the way, the spear hitting the ground.

"What are you doing?!" Naofumi was startled as he backed away from Motoyasu.

"Are you a psycho?! You could have killed someone!" Aldwyn berated the Spear Hero.

"Shut it!" Motoyasu snapped at Aldwyn. "And you! You'll let her go you slave-trading 'Hero'!"

"Who are you talking about?! Raphtalia?!" Naofumi was confused, and getting frustrated.

"I know all about it. You have a new slave! Just like Fleon of the Magical Lands!" Motoyasu pointed his spear at Naofumi, then Aldwyn, then back at Naofumi.

Aldwyn and Naofumi stared at Motoyasu for a moment. And in unison, said, "What?"

"I…" Motoyasu blushed. "I have a thing for angels…"

Aldwyn deadpanned before facepalming his helmet. "Oh you've got to be fucking kidding me."

"He must be talking about Filo." Naofumi said, slumping over. "You'd go for any kind of girl, wouldn't you?"

"No! I'll save her from you!" Motoyasu lunged for Naofumi, however, Aldwyn hopped in front of them, the spear colliding with the Recluse Buckler, with Motoyasu pushing it to try and knock Aldwyn over. Naofumi turned to the crowd behind him.

"Why don't you guys help stop this guy?!" That's when he saw her. Malty. Naofumi sneered as he saw her snicker and grin. Aldwyn pushes Motoyasu back and readied his trident for a fight. Suddenly, the soldier from before leapt in between them and protected the Shield Hero and his companion.

"Spear Hero! Please stop!" He shouted.

"Who the hell are you?!" Motoyasu asked, preparing for another attack.

"Where do you think you are right now?!" The guard shot back. "You're in the middle of a residential area! You must put your weapons away."

"No!" Malty intervened and pulled out a scroll with the royal seal on it. "This is an official duel! I have the authority to declare it so! Do you know what will happen if you interfere?" Malty asked with a smug look. Naofumi and Aldwyn sneered and prepared to defend themselves. However, the soldier went on.

"Even still, it's my job to protect civilians. And I do not think the Shield Hero should be challenged, as he cannot fight for himself." The soldier went on. Aldwyn had to admit, this soldier had some balls.

"You fool! You cannot ignore the commands of the crown!" Malty snarled. "And besides, the Shield Hero has that slave there to fight for him."

"I do not approve of any personal duels between the Hero's." A familiar voice pulled everyone's attention to a newcomer. Mel. "Spear Hero, please understand." Malty looked like she wanted to explode.

"Wh-What are you doing here?!" Malty asked frantically.

"It's been too long...Sister!" Mel pulled a scroll similar to Malty's from her pocket. "I hereby void my sisters authority in the matter and declare this duel illegal. Disband immediately."

Aldwyn and Naofumi looked on in surprise. Aldwyn thought back to their conversation the previous night. "So that's how she knew so much about me…"

"Sister? Certainly you've gone too far this time." Mel said with a sense of authority.

"You don't seem to realize. I'm simply fulfilling my duty as the hero's assistant." Malty tried to cover for herself.

"And an assistants duty is to encourage violence on crowded city streets?" Mel shot back.

"Oh?" Malty began to sweat. "Melty, I promise, this won't get too violent…" Malty seemed to be backing down.

"Mr. Naofumi!" Naofumi and Aldwyn turned to see Raphtalia and Filo running towards them.

"Raphtalia, you brought her here?" Naofumi asked, referencing Malty.

"Yes, but I don't understand what's going on." Raphtalia replied, Filo coming up to her side.

"Motoyasu was, again, under the impression that I-"

"My lady!" Motoyasu was quick to run over and grab Filo's hands. "What's your name?"

"It's Filo! I like to pull carriages!" Filo answered gleefully. Motoyasu let out a gasp.

"That sounds so bad..." Aldwyn hissed. Motoyasu swung his spear around and aimed it at the other three.

"I knew you've been getting a fat bird to do a lot of work, but to think you've been getting little Filo to do this...I can't forgive you!"

"I told you not to fight here!" Melty shouted at Motoyasu.

"You better get out of here! He's really dangerous!" Motoyasu seemed to completely ignore Melty. Filo stood in front of the trio, as if wanting to protect them.

"Filo, get out of the way! I have to get rid of him!" Motoyasu tried to reason. However, Filo glared at him.

"You called me a fat bird." She said angrily. "And you laughed at me last time we met."

"W-What? Naofumi, what have you been telling this poor girl?" Motoyasu went to blame. "I've never met this girl before!"

"I wouldn't be too sure about that pal." Aldwyn started to snicker. A bright light filled the area, and when it died down, Filo was in her bird form.

"Spear Guy! I hate you!" Filo began to move her leg back.

"I...I uh...Your that...That bird?" Motoyasu sputtered our before Filo sent her leg flying into Motoyasu's groin, sending him flying into the air. When he hit the ground, Malty rushed to his side. Meanwhile, Aldwyn was laughing at the sight, and Raphtalia smirked a bit. Not long after, Naofumi broke out laughing as well. The Shield Hero went up to Filo and began to pet her.

"You did good, Filo! Do that every time we meet him from now on, Okay?" He praised the Filolial, who seemed prideful in her work.

"Mr. Naofumi!" Raphtalia tried to catch his attention. :What are you trying to teach her?!" Once everything died down, Melty approached them.

"Holy Saint. No, Shield Hero." Naofumi turned to meet her. "Could we...Find a place to talk?"

* * *

"And...Why here?" Erhard asked with a groan.

"We don't know any other place around here." Was Raphtalia's reply.

"First off, what's your real name?" Naofumi asked Melty. He crossed his arms and looked down on her.

"Let me introduce myself officially." She cleared her throat. "I am the first in line to inherit the Melromarc Throne. I am the second princess. My name is Melty Melromarc."

"First in line for the second princess?" Aldwyn spoke up, leaning against a counter with his arms crossed. "My politics may have gotten a bit rusty, but unless the first born is either dead or has done something…"

"My sister has certain personality flaws that have caused problems in the past. Because of that, I have been given priority for inheritance." Melty finished, giving Aldwyn a slight smile, which he returned.

"You are no longer permitted to play with this girl." Naofumi Suddenly said to Filo, which prompted a look of surprise from them both. "I should have noticed something was up earlier. Why would a young girl be alone in a place like that?" He crossed his arms. "You were just trying to get close to me!"

Melty looked confused. "Wait, no! You've misunderstood! Besides, I thought you were the Holy Saint…"

"People in the village knew. You must have known too." Naofumi accused. "Then you used Filo to get close to us. You sure thought it through, tricking us like that…"

"Wait, please just listen to me!" Melty pleaded. Naofumi wasn't having it.

"I get it! You want Filo! Your in leagues with Motoyasu!" Naofumi kept going with the accusations. "I listened to your sister and your father, and look where that got me. No offense, but I've had enough of trusting that bloodline."

"Naofumi, stop." It wasn't often Aldwyn used his name instead of Captain. "You may be new to the politics and royal family thing, but I'm not. I've learned a lot, even from only ten years of being in one."

"Aldwyn…?" Raphtalia became confused, as did Filo and Erhard.

"None of your business yet. Anyways, just listen. Politics within family are complicated, and they can be very split about it. Things aren't always as they seem, Naofumi. I wouldn't turn your back on her just yet." Before Naofumi could reply, the doors to the shop were thrown open, and a squad of guards walked in.

"Ms. Melty, is this where you've been? The king requests a meeting." Melty then looked defeated. For once, Aldwyn felt bad.

"Very well...See you later Filo!" Melty's mood changed as she waved to Filo, who said her own goodbye and waved back, which prompted Naofumi to berate her. As they left, it left time for Raphtalia to speak up

"Mr, Naofumi, shouldn't you have listened to what she had to say?"

"Yeah, kid, that wasn't very polite." Erhard commented. Before Naofumi could defend himself, the door opened again, and the soldier from before walked in.

"Excuse me. Mr. Shield Hero?" The young soldier put a hand to his chest. However, Naofumi seemed to panic and yell at the soldier.

"No! I won't leave!" The soldier said firmly. "I was doing my rounds when I saw you. We all decided we need to speak to you, so I'm not leaving!"

"Fine Fine…" Naofumi our his hands up in defense. "I'll listen. Talk." The soldier's eyes lit up and he smiled.

"Thank you so much! Actually, we wanted to talk to you about the waves. Some other soldiers and I would like to fight by your side!"

This left the party of four surprised.

"We all saw how you fought in the last wave and we were impressed. There are other soldiers who think the same! We want to help!"

"That's very kind, but working with another hero would probably be better for your career and reputation." Naofumi shrugged.

"You see...I'm from Riyute. I know we need to fight the waves. But as a soldier who fights for his country, I believe that our priority should be the protection of the citizens! And that's something we've noticed the other hero's neglected to do the first time!" The soldier seemed stalwart in his stance. He wasn't going to give up. Aldwyn liked this guy.

"I see…" Naofumi closed his eyes in thought for a moment. He then pulled a necklace out of his satchel. It was a cross that he made himself.

"150 Silver Pieces."

"What?!" The other four shouted.

"If you buy this for 150 Silver Pieces, I'll consider it." Naofumi said it as if nothing was wrong about it. The soldier seemed hesitant at first, not wanting to pay that much for the trust of the Shield Hero. However, he boy didn't pay.

"Very well the-"

"I'll go secure the funds right now!" The young soldier replied before rushing out of the shop to get some money together.

"Well, time to head out." Naofumi said with a shrug as he went to walk out with the soldier no longer there.

"Wait! What happens if the kid comes back?!" Erhard asked, a bit annoyed from the way Naofumi was acting.

"If he comes back, have him wait for me. We'll be back." Naofumi answered as he walked out the door, his companions following him.

* * *

"What?! 50 Gold Pieces for a Class-Up?!" Naofumi was infuriated. Why was it so expensive for something as simple as a Class-Up?

"Yes. For one person, it is 50 Gold Pieces." The Priestess in front of them responded. Naofumi swore he could see her grinning.

"Is that a lot?" Filo asked, tilting her head.

"Yes! Obviously!" Raphtalia turned to Filo, yelling at the small child.

"Fine." Naofumi announced to the priestess. "Raphtalia will be first. Then Aldwyn later once we get the funds. After that, Filo will get her's."

"W-Well, um…" The Priestess' voice shook before she reached behind her and pulled a scroll from her back, reading it. "The Shield Hero is prohibited from a Class-Up!"

"What?!" Naofumi grit his teeth. Maybe if the High Priest was around…

"The Shield Hero and his followers have no permission for a Class-Up. It's a Royal Order." The Priestess began to grin again.

"Isn't That a bit counterproductive?" Aldwyn spoke up, making the Priestess address him.

"Well, it's a Royal Order, so-"

"Even still, it's counterproductive. Preventing one of the Hero's from a Class-Up will make things harder for us. Not only that, we won't be as effective at protecting people." The Priestess began to sweat. "More destruction and chaos would reign, and its all because you followed royal orders like a lapdog."

"Why you-"

"I'm done wasting my time here." Naofumi said aloud. "Come on you guys. We're leaving." Naofumi left the Dragon Hourglass and the Church with his companions. He knew someone who had more answers for him than most. The Slave Trader. He made his way to the little man's shop to ask his questions.

"If it isn't the Shield Hero. How can I help you today? In the market for a new slave? Or perhaps another monster egg?" The little man asked, peddling like he usually did.

"Actually, I came to ask something. Do you know anything about the Class-Up Ceremony?" Naofumi asked, placing a hand on his hip. "You had a slave here that was over level 40 before. Am I supposed to believe they'd grant a slave a Class-Up but not me?"

"So that's what you mean...Unfortunately, I don't know." Was the little man's answer.

"Damn it. What should I do…?"

"You could always go to another country to do it." Aldwyn spoke up again. Everyone looked to him curiously.

"He's right. Just visit another Dragon Hourglass in another country!" The Slave Trader put his hands behind his back after adjusting his glasses.

"In another country?" Raphtalia asked curiously.

"You mean there's more than one Hourglass? Why didn't you tell us this before?" Naofumi asked his Gladiator companion.

"You think I know that much about the whole thing? You must remember, I was still young when I became a slave. I wasn't taught everything." Aldwyn replied. "I only know that there's one in every country."

"But you would have to earn their trust as well." The Slave Trader explained. "They won't let you use it willy nilly."

"That'll take a lot of time...There's no way we could do it before the next wave." Naofumi sighed and shook his head.

"Yes...Ah, is that all you came here for?" The Slave Trader asked.

* * *

The clattering of Filo's new weapons wasn't too loud, but it was still noticeable. She had gotten Wyvern Claws to adorn her own to make her strikes more powerful.

"So there's an Hourglass in Requidas too, right?" Naofumi asked as they made their way back to Erhard's shop.

"Yes. Although going there would be a long and stressful journey. Arcadis is located far north of the country, surrounded by mountains and snowy forests ." Aldwyn answered, remembering his home well.

"I see…" Naofumi nodded. "Would that be the closest country?"

"No. The closest from here would be Silt Velt to the East. Requidas is to the Northwest."

"Well, that just means we won't have to stay in this wretched place anymore." Naofumi was glad there was more than just Melromarc with an Hourglass. As they made their way into the blacksmiths, they noticed voices inside of it. As Naofumi opened the door, he was greeted by a crowd of soldiers.

"Mr. Shield Hero!" The soldier from before rushed up to him. "We brought the money!" He presented a bag of coin. "We went around the dorms, collecting everything we could spare! 150 Silver, as promised! Will you trust us now?"

"I like this kid, Captain. Not many people would go to this length for something like this." Aldwyn praises the young soldier. Naofumi groaned.

"Fine." However, he pushed the bag of money back to the young soldier. He was confused as Naofumi brought up a menu. "Do you mind being the leader of the group?" A menu popped up in front of the soldier, that said he would be squad commander for that team if the Shield Hero's party.

"Hero…?" The Soldier smiled. It seemed he wasn't prepared for this.

"If you poor kids would give me this much money, you must really believe in me. Keep the necklace as proof of the squads loyalty." Naofumi said to them as he gave them the necklace.

"Ah! He was just testing them!" Erhard figured out from behind his counter.

"Understood, sir!"

"I still don't completely trust you. If you betray me, well…" Naofumi nodded his head over to Aldwyn, who placed a hand on his trident threateningly. "You understand."

"Y-Yes! Yes sir!" All the soldier's replied in unison.

* * *

Raphtalia's skin began to sizzle a bit under to cooling touch of the holy water, the curse now gone from her body. They had rented a room for the night in the city, even though Naofumi would rather have camped outside.

"You okay?" Naofumi asked, placing the vial on the counter.

"I'm fine. Hey, did you notice the Demi-Human in that soldiers party?" Raphtalia asked. Naofumi thought back, and remembered a Demi-Human girl in some witch get up.

"Yeah. Why are you asking?"

"For a Demi-Human to join this country's military...There must be a reason. I believe you can trust them." Raphtalia seemed adamant about it. Naofumi nodded to her.

"I don't distrust them. I just had to make sure." Naofumi answered. As Naofumi began to wrap up Raphtalia's curse wounds to heal faster, the door opened, and Aldwyn stumbled in.

"Aldwyn? You okay?" Raphtalia asked as The Gladiator nearly lost his footing.

"Yeah yeah, I-I'm Fine, I just…" Aldwyn's back hit the wall, and he slid down it.

"Aldwyn!" Raphtalia went to stand up, but Naofumi pushed her down.

"Aldwyn, how many?"

"Just a pint, I swear!" Aldwyn answered. He tried to get up, but fell over again.

"Aldwyn…"

"Okay...More than a pint...But it's okay! I didn't break nothin'!" Aldwyn hiccuped. "M-Mostly because Erhard forced me up here…"

Naofumi sighed and shook his head. "Just get some sleep, please."

"Yessir Captain Sir! Private Leo-WAIT! Private ALDWYN is on the case!" Aldwyn stood up and stumbled his way over to the rooms closet and opened it, stumbling in and closing the door. It wasn't even a minute that went by before they heard him fall to the floor.

"Uh, Mr. Naofumi, what's wrong with him?" Raphtalia asked. Right. She's still technically a kid.

"Well, he drank too much alcohol and got drunk. Don't ever get like that, okay?" Naofumi didn't want her touching the stuff until she was older.

"Yeah, I don't think I want to."

"Good."


	8. Chapter 8: Castle of Glass

_**I return with yet another chapter. This one is a bit rushed, as I'm preparing for a busy week next week. However, I hope you all enjoy it anyways. **_

* * *

"This town has seen better days." Aldwyn commented as they passed through a town. A few days had gone by since they accepted the services of those soldiers, and were now going about their usual routine. The town they were in had some ruined buildings, and the people around town didn't seem too happy. They looked scared.

"Maybe it's because of the famine?" Filo asked. Recently, a famine had been hitting smaller villages further away from the capital, and were suffering from failing crops.

"Maybe…"

The group stopped by a tavern in the town, looking to find a place to stay for a while and gather some information. Naofumi left his companions in an inn while he went to a tavern to hopefully get some info. As he sat down, Naofumi head a familiar voice. He turned his head and saw Itsuki, the Bow Hero. He listened in on the conversation he and his companions were having.

"Apparently, the governor here has been setting higher taxes than the crown requested, and he punishes anyone who speaks out against him." A large man in a suit of heavy armor said to the Bow Hero.

"Then someone will have to show the governor the error of his ways!" Itsuki seemed enthusiastic about bringing down the corrupt governor. The way Naofumi saw him act made him accidentally snort. He quickly hid behind the counter he was seated at, avoiding the gaze of Itsuki and his party. He remained hidden as they left, taking a breath as they were out of sight and sitting back up in his seat.

'_Does he really think beating the governor and then lecturing him about morality is going to do anything?_' Naofumi thought. Itsuki seemed way too optimistic about things to him. He got up and made his way back to the inn, opening the door to their room.

"Welcome back." Raphtalia greeted.

"Learn anything interesting?" Aldwyn asked.

"Nothing that would interest us, besides high taxes here. Come on, let's see if we can do some trading." Naofumi brought his slaves with him back to the carriage and opened it up for business. Almost immediately, people surrounded them.

"Please, will you give us food for food for this?" People brought up trinkets and heirlooms. They were desperate for food. "This is all we have left." A man presented them with a small totem of a man with a moustache. Naofumi didn't want it, however, he could use their hunger to his advantage.

"I'll cook you some food." They all smiled. "In exchange for information." They all nodded. Naofumi motioned for Raphtalia and Aldwyn to start cooking some food for the townsfolk.

* * *

"So, how's upgrade kid?" Erhard asked. He finally finished the upgrade for Naofumi's armor. On his chestplate, there was a bit of reinforced armor, and a red gemstone in the center of it. "What's the matter? Don't like it? It might not look different, but it's more powerful. The dragon core you brought me is in the center there. That's the biggest change."

"I don't care about design. The next wave is almost here." Naofumi said, meaning he approves.

"Good. Now, go save the world, Hero. This is all I can do for you." Erhard said with a grin. Naofumi grinned back.

"Save the world? Right." He began to walk out of the shop. "I'll see what I can do." As Naofumi and his party walked out, in front of them stood Itsuki and Ren.

"It's you! You're the one who took my quest reward money!" Itsuki accused.

"What?" Naofumi asked, confused at his claims.

"I defeated a wicked governor who tortured his people! But when I went to collect my reward, they said the reward had already been claimed!"

"And why would I do that?" Naofumi raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"Because your the only Hero that would behave that way!" Itsuki was relentless with his accusation.

"How do you know it was a Hero who took it?" Naofumi questioned. "When you accepted the quest, did you prove you were a hero? Haven't you been traveling around in disguise?"

Itsuki grit his teeth. "What are you trying to say?!"

"When you try to hide your identity, you shouldn't be surprised when you don't get the rewards." Naofumi told him, his expression unchanging. "I've heard rumors about Ren and Motoyasu, but nothing about what you've been up to. Did you think everyone would just know it was you? See the kind of blunders you create when you try to be cool?"

"You want me to be prideful of the help I provide people?! My ethics do not allow such behavior!" Itsuki spoke as if taking pride in something was a sin.

"What's wrong with basking in the glory of Victory?" Aldwyn asked. "It feels good. Why deny your right to feel good and take pride in your hard work?"

"Well, I don't feel as if people should be thanking me for-"

"Then tell me what happened to that town. Did the land suddenly become prosperous after what you've done?" Naofumi asked sternly. "Did the citizens try to secretly cross the border to escape the famine?" Itsuki became surprised that he had such information. "Sure, the governor might have been a jerk, but the town was in the midst of a famine. Just switching out the guy in charge won't make the problem go away."

"You too Ren!" The Sword Hero garnered a look of surprise as well.

"You know that dragon you killed? You left it's body to rot and the sickness infected a whole town and the ecosystem around it." Naofumi explained. "Two of my companions nearly died because it came back to life as an undead."

"What?!" Ren exclaimed.

"We just happened to be there to clean up your mess. That's why your request was canceled." Naofumi explained. "You'd think I could get a word of thanks…"

"W-Well...Your right. I'm sorry…" Ren apologized with regret.

"You'd just believe him?!" Itsuki shouted at Ren.

"He has no reason to lie." Ren said calmly.

"But then, who took my reward?!" Itsuki seemed furious that his reward was taken from him.

"How should I know?" Naofumi rolled his eyes. "If it bothers you, stop with the Self-Righteous act and look out for your own reputation."

Itsuki turned to leave. "I-I still don't believe you!" Ren sighed and left with Itsuki, looking regretful still.

"Shield Hero!" A familiar voice called to them. It was the young soldier and his party. "We heard you were back in the city! We'd like to meet with you about the coming wave of destruction."

Naofumi turned and smiled to them. "Sure. Good idea. We were just about to look for an inn. Come with us."

"Yes sir!"

* * *

"Not too much longer now." Naofumi muttered as he watched the clock tick down. He turned towards his companions. They stood around a wagon carrying spare weapons for the soldiers and some potions in case they get hurt. Erhard had just arrived with them, giving them the weapons for free.

"Hey." He got the attention of the four. He approached Raphtalia. "Raphtalia, hold out your hand. I have something for you."

"Huh? Alright…" She stuck out her hand. Naofumi reached into his pack and grabbed a gold bracelet with an emerald gem at the top of it. "What is it?"

"It's a bracelet with a spell on it to boost your mana regeneration." Naofumi answered with a hint of pride in his voice.

"Neat present for a lady…" Erhard muttered with a grin.

"Will it really do that? Thank you so much!" Raphtalia examined the bracelet with glee.

"Hey!" Filo tugged on Naofumi's cape and pouted. "Why is Raphtalia the only one getting a present?"

"I got you." Naofumi pulled another golden trinket from his pack. He placed it in Filo's hair. It was a golden hair clip in the form of a wing with sapphires for each of the four outlined feathers. "This will make your speed and agility twice what it was."

"Thank you so much, Master! I love it!" Filo pumped her hands into the air with glee.

"Don't think I left you out, Aldwyn." The Gladiator, who was focused on the soldiers they had recruited, turned his head to Naofumi and tilted it in curiosity. Naofumi reached into his pocket and got close to Aldwyn. "Hold out your hand." Aldwyn did so. Something shiny and gold with a small chain dropped into his hand.

"Hey, what did you give him?" Erhard asked, crossing his arms. Filo and Raphtalia peered over to try and see what it was.

"I tried to make it the best I could. That, and it has a spell on it that raises you're overall stamina and pain tolerance." Naofumi pat Aldwyn's shoulder. Aldwyn opened his hand and saw a necklace. It was shaped in the form of a kite shield, with a sword engraved into it. The swords crossguards were in the form of eagle wings, and they branched off of the shield. In the middle where the hilt of the sword was, was a small red gem. A ruby. It came together to take the form of the symbol of Carthism.

"I...Thank you." Aldwyn said with a smile. He placed the necklace around his neck, the symbol resting just below the middle of his collarbone.

"No problem." Naofumi looked at the timer on his hud for the wave. Seconds away. "The wave is almost here. You guys set?

"We're ready!" Aldwyn said with a nod, trident in hand. Raphtalia put a hand on the hilt of her sword, and Filo nodded in her bird form.

"Good luck kid." Erhard said, confident that they would succeed.

The timer hit zero, and they were suddenly teleported to the scene of the wave. They were in a forest yet again, and in the Sky was a ship with tentacles coming from the lower decks and an eye the illuminated the inside through a hole. Monsters poured from the ship; flying whales, lizard men, phantom wolves, etc. The soldiers that join Naofumi's party seemed to have teleported with them.

"Get out of the way!" The parties of every other hero rushed past them, not even waiting for them to move as Aldwyn was pushed by one of Motoyasu's assistants.

"Jackass…" Aldwyn muttered. "Wait, they don't have any soldiers with them."

"From where we are, any reinforcements will take a day to get here!" Raphtalia said, noticing the place looked familiar.

"There's no time. We have to take care of the evacuation." Naofumi announced.

The other Hero's ran straight for the boss while Naofumi and his crew stood back to fend off the monsters and eliminate them before they could get to the nearest village.

The fight went on for hours. They were getting tired.

Aldwyn shoves his trident into a lizard man, holding it by one hand and swinging it around, sending the monster off of the weapon and slamming into a group of other monsters. Something slammed into his back which send him to his knees. He turned around and saw a man with a boar head, holding a large shield. Aldwyn went for a stab but it was blocked. Suddenly, a soldier came up from the side of them and cut off the monsters shield arm. Aldwyn took the chance and ran the trident through the monsters belly, leaving it in there before ripping it out. It's entrails followed, spraying blood over the Gladiator.

He noticed the soldier getting attacked by a group of zombie men. He charged forward, stabbing a zombie in the head and slamming his Buckler into the head of another one, making the weak flesh rip and the head to get knocked off. The third zombie went for a lazy slice at the soldier, but the soldier blocked it and shoved their sword into it's chest. The zombie was still alive, however, Aldwyn stabbed the back of its head, the prongs ripping out its shriveled up eyeballs. Once he pulled his trident back, his removed any bits of flesh off his trident before letting out a roar of Victory.

"Thanks for the help." A feminine voice said to him. He turned his head to the soldier, who was smiling at him. He recognized her. She was the soldier that shot the Wyvern in the eye with an arrow during the first wave. He nodded to her.

"And I thank you. Now, onward! For Glory!" He charged forthe once again, the soldier following him into battle.

Meanwhile with Naofumi, he teamed up with two other soldiers and Raphtalia, but they were barely hanging on.

"Argh! They're too slow! Why are they taking so long?!" He shouted in frustration, looking at the ship.

"You go ahead Mr. Naofumi!" The young soldier shouted to him. "We'll take care of the village evacuations and deal with any monsters!"

"But...Alright! Good luck! Filo! Raphtalia, Aldwyn! Let's go!" Naofumi waved to the soldier and ran off with his companions to the boss.

When they reached the area under the flying ship, they saw Itsuki, simply firing arrows at it.

"Itsuki!" Naofumi shouted to the younger Hero.

"What are you doing here?!" Itsuki sneered at Naofumi, firing another arrow at the ship.

"Id ask you the same thing! What are you playing with?"

"If we don't destroy the ship, the wave won't end!" Itsuki answered. "But Motoyasu and Ren climbed up there."

"I hate to break it to you, but your arrows won't take it down. We need to get up there and help coordinate an attack." Aldwyn said to Itsuki and Naofumi.

"He's right. We need to take it down from the inside. That's where we'll do the most damage." Naofumi agreed.

"No! That's not how you do it in the game Dimension Wave!" Itsuki replied. Aldwyn became confused but Naofumi groaned. He got off of Filo, whom they've rode to the boss with, and grabbed Itsuki by the shirt.

"Game?! A game?! Are you still playing around?!" He tossed the Bow Hero away. "How long are you going to wait around? We're going up there and taking that ship out!" He got back on Filo.

"Are you still taking my jobs!?" Itsuki shouted as they started to fly away. Filo flew quickly up to the ship, landing hard on the deck, gaining the attention of Motoyasu and Ren. Before they was a skeleton in a pirate captain get up, and tentacles surrounding it. A skeleton captain and it's kraken.

"Motoyasu, Ren, explain to me what's happening!" Naofumi shouted at them. "Why are you two fighting separately?!"

"Get out of here!" Malty, who joined the Spear Hero in the fight against the boss. "What could a shield guy do?!"

"Shut up!" Naofumi shot back.

"If we defeat the Captain, the boss, The Soul Eater, will appear!" Ren said to Naofumi as he dodged another attack made by the Captain.

"What are you talking about?! We have to kill the kraken!" Motoyasu shouted to the Sword Hero. Then, Itsuki finally made his way up to the ship.

"No, it's the ship itself! Can't you see your fighting the wrong enemy!" The three Hero's began to argue back and forth as to how they should defeat the boss. Naofumi then thought of an idea.

"Raphtalia! You can use Light Magic, right? Burn them out!"

Raphtalia nodded and put her hands together. "I am the source of all power. Heed my words and bring them. Give us light! First Light!" She raised her sword into the air and a bright light shined from it, illuminating the whole ship. Dark shadows were cast behind the masts, showing a face behind them.

"It's in the shadows!" Aldwyn pointed out.

"Got it!" The other three hero's used their weapons and attacked the shadow. The attacks caused the monster to finally appear, however, as it fled the shadows, more than one escaped the onslaught. There were multiple Soul Eaters.

"We drew it out! The rest is up to you guys!" Naofumi told the three hero's, who were already engaging the monsters. However, even with their combined efforts, it kept regenerating. A ball of energy began to form in its mouth.

"Wait! Watch out!" Naofumi shouted for them to move, but it was too late. The ball of dark energy shot out at the hero's and their companions, launching them across the ship. "Are you guys okay?" He asked his own followers.

"Yeah, we.'we okay. The others seem to be alive too." Raphtalia said as she looked over the others. Just the , the Soul Eater began to form another attack of the same caliber.

"Watch out!" Aldwyn cried out, preparing to move out of the way. However, Raphtalia seemed distracted. She looked up at the top mast, looking at a woman who stood atop it.

"Raphtalia! I need you!" Naofumi called to her. But she didn't move. He needed to use it. The shield that hurt her. The blast hit them, covering the group. The other hero's watched in dismay. However, when the flames cleared, they saw Naofumi with his shield raised, the others behind him still standing.

'_I don't need to protect them. But if I lose control, Raphtalia, Filo, Aldwyn...They'll die.' _The Shield Hero thought to himself. Dark thoughts flooded his mind. Voices began to speak to him. He resisted. Or tried to. He felt rage overcome him. His hatred for the world, for the other hero's, for Motoyasu. For Malty and the King. He felt the power begin to consume him. The others stood by and watched in horror as a dark aura surrounded the Shield Hero. Flames began to cover his arms. The voices got louder.

'_**Where? WHERE IS THE ONE WHO KILLED ME?!**_' A deep voice shouted in his head.

Raphtalia began to shake him. "Mr. Naofumi! Get it together!"

"Raph...Talia?" Naofumi seemed distant and confused. Just when he came back to realization, the Soul Eater appeared behind Raphtalia. However, out from the air, Filo jumped down on it, using her new weapons, metallic claws for her feet. She began to fight with the Soul Eater, with fury that seemed impossible for her.

'_Could it have been because she ate a Dragon Core, and I have one too? Maybe it's affecting her too…_' Naofumi grit his teeth. He didn't want her to get hurt.

"We need to finish this thing off!" He heard Motoyasu shout, preparing to fend off the kraken.

"I can't get a shot at the Soul Eater!" Itsuki cried as he dodged the krakens attempts to hit him. They all began to bicker again. Pointless. The Shield Began to invade his thoughts again. He felt irritated with the other hero's, to a point where he begs me to growl.

"Incoming!" Aldwyn's voice snapped him out of it as he saw the Soul Eater preparing another energy bomb attack. It fired the ball at Naofumi, who once again blocked it effortlessly.

'_Hatred...I finally have a weapon. Hatred._' Naofumi began to grin. "The other hero's...I should just let the Shield kill them and make my life easier…" Saying that made him turn to Raphtalia and Aldwyn. "You two, get away from me…"

"No! You can't-!"

"I'm sorry, but I have to finish this…" Naofumi interrupted Raphtalia's plea.

"Mr. Naofumi, please…" Raphtalia reaches out to him, but Aldwyn grabbed her and pulled her back, despite any resistance he got from her. Black armor made of flames began to cover his arms.

'_These flames that hurt me, they are stronger than any weapon._' "I know how to kill it…Prison Shield!" A sudden cage formed around the Soul Eater and trapped it. "Bee Needle Shield!" Barbs replaced the prison, being stuck into and through the Soul Eater.

'_This is how it'll be punished…_' "Confined by screams, pierced by pain, Iron Maiden!" A large Iron Maiden trap appeared behind the Soul Eater, quickly closing shut around it. The Iron Maiden shook before opening. The Soul Eater, filled with holes, fell from it. Just as it did, Naofumi fell to his knees, the attacks he preformed and the flames taking their toll.

"Mr. Naofumi!" Raphtalia broke away from Aldwyn's grip and ran to the Shield Hero.

"Wow, he sure can fight…" Motoyasu commented.

"Guess he has saved up power from slacking off the whole time." Itsuki said, crossing his arms.

"You call evacuating a village and slaying the monsters attacking it 'slacking off'?" Aldwyn replied to the Bow Hero.

"Well, we were up here fighting the boss." Itsuki defended himself.

"And doing a shit job at it." Aldwyn shook his head and made his way over to Naofumi, crouching next to him.

"Is...Is that the end of the wave?" Naofumi asked, exhausted.

"Those little monster gave you a hard time?" A voice said to them. Everyone looked up and saw the woman from before staring down at them. She jumped, dropping down in front of the Hero's. "It looks like there's only one real hero among you."

Aldwyn stood up and stepped in front of Naofumi, acting defensively. As he did, a Soul Eater appeared from behind the woman. "Another one?!"

With a flick of her wrist, a fan unfolded in the woman's hand and a burst of wind shot out, splitting the Soul Eater in half. Aldwyn raised his buckler just in case something happened.

"Do not interfere in our glorious battle." The woman said to them, walking towards the group. "That's right...The real battle is just beginning!"

"Like hell I'm letting you touch him." Aldwyn snarled, pointing his trident at the woman.

"You don't possess the power to fight me. You aren't a real Hero."

"Never said I was. Won't stop me from gutting you with my Trident." Aldwyn reached his arm back, preparing to lunge, however, Naofumi placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You're a Hero? What's your name?" The woman asked Naofumi, who stepped in front of Aldwyn.

"You ask my name without giving yours?" Naofumi played along with the woman.

"Pardon me. I am Glass." Glass gave a small now. "And I am an enemy of the Hero's." The other Hero's seemed to prepare their weapons for a fight.

"...I'm Naofumi."

"Very well, Naofumi. Let's begin the real battle!" Glass lunged at Naofumi. Before she could reach him, Raphtalia and Aldwyn stood in front of him to protect him. Motoyasu swing his spear at her, which she was able to jump out of the way. Ren ran up and jabbed his sword towards her, which she easily spun away from. And just as she landed, and arrow came right for her, to which she clung off of her fan.

"Too slow."

"Get out of my way! I'll use my magic to-" Malty attempted to hit her with a magic attack, however, Glass circled her fans around her, muttering something. Suddenly, slashes of wind spun around her, going outwards towards the other Hero's and their companions. Naofumi put up a shield and covered Aldwyn and Raphtalia. When they hit, they all got sent flying in different directions. Malty flew past Naofumi and crashed against a wall.

"Oh my...Is that all? They are weaker than I expected." Glass taunted as she walked her way towards Naofumi. "Those legendary weapons are crying…" She began to walk faster. Naofumi only had a split second.

He pushed Aldwyn and Raphtalia away from him. Just as he did, Glass shit forward and struck his shield, sending him back into the wall Malty was sent into.

"So, you were able to block one of my attacks…" Glass sauntered here way towards the Shield Hero.

"Stay away from Master!" An angry Filo appeared next to Glass. Filo struck the woman, however, it was blocked by a fan. Raphtalia ran for Glass, attempting to strike her back, but was once again blocked by a fan.

"The bird struck me eight times in that moment, and the girl has good instincts with a sword." Glass commented. She flicked her wrist and sent Filo back, while breaking Raphtalia's sword by closing her fan. "And yet…"

Just as she did, a trident appeared by her face. She opened her fan and blocked the incoming strike. Just as she did, she saw a glint of red appear out of the corner of her eye. The edge of a Buckler shot towards her face. She bent her back, falling backward, and the edge of the buckler only cut off bits of hair from her forehead. She sent the trident into a wall with another flick and stood straight. The buckler flew into the rail of the ship. She turned to look at the impact, and as she did, she heard running. When she turned back around, Aldwyn was in a full sprint towards her. He was quick and grabbed one of her arms, twisting it. With his other hand, he held his short sword and went for a stab. However, Glass kicked up and sent the short sword up into the air, sending it far away, off the ship. Using that same foot, she kicked Aldwyn back, sending him stumbling away from her, weaponless.

"And this one has the strength and ferocity of a Lion. However, he has no patience. Nor discipline." Glass continued her walk to Naofumi. "Why don't you use that flame shield of yours? Are you mocking me?" Glass asked, thinking he's holding back. She waited for a response, and got none.

"That's too bad. If you won't fight, then you leave me with no choice." She prepared herself for an attack, however, Naofumi stood up and made his way over to Malty. He began to look through her satchel.

"Mr. Naofumi!?" Raphtalia called out, confused.

"You steal from the fallen and call yourself a hero?" Glass asked, also slightly confused.

"Call me whatever you want." Naofumi said as he pulled a bottle from the satchel. He opened it and drank its contents before tossing it aside. "A recovery item. Don't you want to see what I can do?" Glass frowned, and Naofumi walked forward. The shield on his arm transformed into the Wrath Shield, and his body once again lit aflame. "Now...Come at me!"

Just as the Shield lit, Filo once again became crazed, and leapt for Glass, drooling like a mindless beast. Filo went to bite down on Glass, however, the woman simple slapped her with her fan and sent her crashing down into the ship. A hole went through it, going down all levels.

"Oh no…" Glass' eyes widened a bit. "I think I overdid it. We better find a new place to fight. This ship is about to fall apart. Follow me." Glass turned to the hole and jumped down it, heading for the ground.

"Mr Naofumi? Should we go?" Raphtalia asked, hesitant about following the woman.

"We don't have a choice. Aldwyn, get your shield and trident. We're going down." Naofumi ordered. The Gladiator Retrieved his gear and jumped down the hole, with Naofumi and Raphtalia following. When they got to the ground, they saw Filo, lying in a crater.

"Filo!" Raphtalia called out as she ran to the Filolial.

"Wait!" Naofumi stopped her. "She could freak out like I did with the Shield. Leave her be for now." He turned to Glass, seeing her just a short ways away. "I'll end this."

"That's easy to say." Glass replied. "No more holding back!"

Glass lunged at Naofumi, using the closed fans to strike his shield. Just like he wanted. He grinned, and Glass saw it.

"Self cures burning!" The area around Naofumi erupted with dark flames, catching Glass by surprise. She quickly regained her senses and used her opened fans to blow away the fire. She stood her ground and began to swipe her fans in the air, sending quick wind strikes against Naofumi's shield. He felt them hit him. She was breaking through the shields defenses.

"You survived my attack, but I see your weakness. The black flames only work in an area of effect around you. If I stay at a distance, it can't affect me, and you're helpless." Glass has the upper hand here.

"But you have another trick, don't you?" Glass unfolded a fan and covered the bottom half of her face with it. "I'd hate to end the battle without seeing it." Naofumi grew even more frustrated.

"Shield Prison!" Steel shields and chains wrapped themselves around Glass in a moments notice. "Iron Maiden!" An Iron Maiden formed behind the Shield prison and closed around it, a crunching sound being heard from it. However, the Iron Maiden began to shake, and dents formed outwards from it. Suddenly, the cage shattered, and out came Glass, perfectly fine.

"It wasn't as wonderful as I was expecting." Glass said nonchalantly. "What a pity. I have no grudge against you personally, but this wave battle...Was a victory for us."

Naofumi felt anger overcome him once again. He wanted to go at her again, however, a beep sounded out, making Glass gasp.

"Already? But it's so early…" Glass spoke to herself.

"Now!"

"First Light!"

"First Sandstorm!"

A flash of light followed by heavy winds carrying sand swirled around the battlefield. Glass sighed and blew away the sand, making the battlefield clear, and found no one there.

"Well well...They escaped…"

* * *

"Filo, c'mon!" Naofumi shouted as the large Filolial ran with her three companions on top of her.

"But I'm tired~..." Filo whined as she ran as fast as she could.

"We need to keep going or she'll kill us!" Naofumi replied, making her go faster. "There was no way to win…"

"Look!" Aldwyn pointed skyward. The cracks in the sky began to dissipate. "The wave is over. Finally."

"So that timer was for the wave…" Naofumi grit his teeth. She didn't seem to be on the monsters side, but why…

Suddenly, the trio were sent stumbling forward and Filo collapsed to the ground. They rolled forward a few feet before Raphtalia got up and crawled over to Filo.

"Filo? Are you okay…?"

Naofumi stood up and looked back at the crashed ship. The bodies of dead monsters and the unconscious Hero's were visible, all sticking out of the debris. "Alright, let's head to the village and help clean up there."

"What about them…?" Raphtalia looked at the ship.

"I'm not playing nurse for them. I can't do everything." Naofumi rolled his eyes as he began to walk back towards the village.

"Besides, what have they ever done for us?" Aldwyn said in agreement with Naofumi. The Gladiator helped Filo to her feet and walk her back to the village.

* * *

A fire crackled underneath a pot of hot stew. The villagers needed the food after the evacuation, and so the group had decided to cook some for them. Naofumi and Raphtalia handled dealing out the food whenever it finished. For the meantime, everyone else, including the other soldiers, took a well deserved rest.

Aldwyn sat on the ground next to a storehouse that was lucky enough to only receive minimal damage. He laid semi-asleep, his head dipped down with his helmet still on. While he was still angry about losing the short sword, he was promised he would get a new one alongside Raphtalia by Naofumi.

Aldwyn heard light footsteps approached him, with the clank of metal armor. He looked up and saw a soldier walking up to him. They strode past and out their back against the storehouse wall, sliding down and sitting next to him.

"Good to see you made it through the wave." The soldier spoke to him. He recognized the voice. It was the girl who helped him back before they fought the boss.

"Oh, it's you. Glad to see your in one piece." Aldwyn straightened up as he spoke to her. "I'm pretty sure I said this already, but thanks for the support. It would have been a lot worse without you and your friends."

"Of course. Anything to help you and the Shield Hero out. By the way, you're one of his companions, but I never learned your name. Do you mind…?" The soldier asked, tilting her head a bit.

"Ah, no. Names Aldwyn. Nice to meet you…"

"Delphine Xenia. You don't have a last name?" Delphine raised an eyebrow.

"I did, but not anymore. One tends to forget when they haven't heard it for the past 13 years." Aldwyn lied to her. He had to. He needed to be sure that he wasn't found out by those who took him originally.

"It's been 13 years?" Delphine's eyes widened. "Why?"

"Been a slave for that long. Since I was 10." Aldwyn answered with a shrug.

"You've been a slave since 10?! That's horrible."

"It wasn't all bad. First 2 sucked. Got sold to a pretty nice owner for 5 years. The next five years I was forced into the servitude of another prick, and then he got bored of me and sold me off to a slave trader who brought me here. Now Naofumi owns me, but he's treated me better than most."

"I see...I'm glad the Shield Hero found you." Delphine replied.

"Why are you glad?" Aldwyn asked curiously.

"Well, I'm glad you were picked by someone who obviously cares about you. You seem like a nice person-" Aldwyn snorted ,"...And you've helped a lot of people here."

"Maybe it was Carthus who put me here by fate, or maybe it's just luck. But I'm here. And Naofumi picked me. That's all I need." Aldwyn couldn't remember the last time he actively practiced his religion. The last time he actually prayed was years ago.

"Carthus? You're Carthan? Not many in Melromarc follow Carthism."

"Well, I'm from its country of origin, so…"

"Oh? So you're from Requidas? I've never been there. Not many of your people besides diplomats and traders come from there." Delphine scooted in front of him. "What city are you from? What's it like there? What kinds of weapons are made there?"

Aldwyn blinked a few times at Delphine's sudden questioning. It made him a tad bit suspicious. "Why do you want to know?"

"I've always wanted to go there. From what the traders say, it sounds like an amazing place to live in!" Delphine smiled widely. Her tone didn't make it seem like she had any ill intent. She was more like an excited child.

"W-Well…"

"You! You stole some of our troops!" Aldwyn turned his head, and saw a squad of knights standing in front of Naofumi and the young soldier from their own squad. He stood up and grabbed his trident, even though his muscles screamed for him not to. Delphine also stood as they both went to investigate the commotion.

"Took you long enough to get here." Was Naofumi's response. "I should have expected as much."

"It's not the Hero's fault! We came because-" The Squad Commander tried to explain.

"What? You can't listen to the Shield!" The Knight Commander spat.

"You still haven't changed…" Naofumi muttered. "Just look at all this destruction. All because you didn't do your jobs." Naofumi pointed to a ruined building. "Oh, and the other Hero's you all love so much are all beaten over there." The knights turned and gasped, worried about the other Hero's. "You're soldiers and the surviving villagers are nursing them back to health. I told them not to bother, but…"

"What!? Have them sent to the hospital!" The Knight Commander ordered.

"But sir! There are others with more serious wounds-" Delphine tried to step in.

"We prioritize the Hero's for the future of our country! For the good of the world!" The Knight Commander snapped at Delphine, who took a step back away from him.

"Hey!" Aldwyn shouted, gaining the Knight Commander's attention. "The Hero's will live. Villagers who suffered worse injuries aren't going to make it with what we have here. Prioritize the people your supposed to protect first. Isn't that what's most important?"

"If the Hero's aren't healed, then there won't be any villagers to protect in the future!"

"And there won't be anything left when the Hero's are healed if you ignore the villagers needs!" Aldwyn stood face to face with the Commander.

"Don't think I don't know who you are, you Requidan scum! You and you're people are just savages who band together to-" A trident was placed to the Knights throat before he could continue.

"Say more. I dare you." Aldwyn threatened. "My people may like to fight, but I must remind you that we care more for our people than you do for yours. You have no right to talk about my people that way when you do nothing for your own!"

"Aldwyn!" Naofumi called to the Gladiator. "That's enough. He's not worth it."

The Gladiator hissed and removed his trident from the neck of the Knight Commander. He made his way to Naofumi, and the Knights went off to retrieve the other Hero's. Delphine approached Aldwyn hesitantly.

"Hey, you weren't going to hurt him, were you?" Delphine asked, holding her hands together behind her back.

"I was thinking about it real hard. But the Captain's right. He's not worth it." Aldwyn answered as he sat down. Delphine sighed and made her way to the young soldier who lead their squad.

The wave was over, and it was time to recover.

* * *

_**I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter and a new addition to the named characters, Delphine! She's going to be a minor side character, but I felt like she was a needed addition to the story to balance out Aldwyn's cynicism with some positivity. Anywho, please feel free to rate and review, and have a lovely day.**_


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